Tampa International Airport: HCAA Board Gets A Look Into The Future Of Tampa International Airport

Tampa FL

03 February, 2022

5:13 PM

Description

Press release from the Tampa International Airport: February 03, 2022 The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors and staff this week got a glimpse of Tampa International Airport's future in a presentation of the 2022 Master Plan Update baseline forecast. The Feb. 3 presentation explained the methodology behind the important forecast that will shape the Airport's growth and ensure that it meets the needs of TPA's passengers, airlines and community as the Airport prepares ­­for the next phase of construction in coming years. Airport consulting firm Ricondo and Associates, the firm leading the research for TPA's 2022 Master Plan Update, presented to the Board a data set and a growth forecast influenced by factors such as Tampa's future population and employment growth in the region. Ricondo's findings pointed to examples of the region's resiliency, particularly in the areas of tourism and business development. Among some of the key projections in the presentation: TPA will see up to 38.8 million annual passengers, 402,000 tons of cargo per year and 344,000 annual aircraft operations by the year 2042. By comparison, TPA served 22.2 million passengers in 2019, the last record year for traffic prior to COVID-19 impacts on travel. Predicting the future of an Airport's passenger traffic and operations is no small or easy task, particularly as the world recovers from what is known as a "shock event" such as a pandemic. Forecasting to assess future passenger data is critically important for the aviation industry, which is hypersensitive to changing business cycles.   The inception of such a plan takes into account many factors including historical local passenger demand, socioeconomic and demographic data, changes in passenger demand patterns, airline strategies in response to the pandemic, leisure and business travel trends, overall travel restrictions as well as airline partner feedback. All of these factors will help inform and shape the third and final phase of TPA's Master Plan construction. The Master Plan Update is a regular revalidation process prescribed by the FAA and the Florida Department of Transportation in order to best analyze TPA's overall capacity, operational and maintenance needs, customer enhancements and any new or emerging trends that are anticipated to influence the aviation industry. Primary goals of the 2022 MPU include:  Creation of a new 20-year passenger forecast  Reassessment of Airside D, including timing and functionality  Identification of new or emerging trends/technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and touchless technologies for passenger processing  Assessment of TPA's existing airfield capacity and analysis of whether additional runways may be needed  Comprehensive assessment of the capacity needs and operational enhancements needed to support the growth and success of all business sectors operating at TPA The baseline forecasts from this methodology will be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review and approval this spring. This press release was produced by the Tampa International Airport. The views expressed here are the author's own.