As airlines started to bring longer routes to Tampa, the Drew Field facility began calling itself Tampa International Airport.
To provide a better customer experience, the newly formed Authority built a two-story facility. But as the new TPA terminal was unveiled in 1952, it was already crowded. By the 1960s, the Authority was already planning yet another larger airport.
TPA’s then-Director George J. Bean and his ambitious team worked to create something truly unique. When the new TPA opened in 1971, more than 60,000 people came to tour the revolutionary airport design and ride the world’s first automated people movers.
Over the next 50 years, TPA continued to stay on the cutting edge of planning and design as it implemented a Long Term Garage monorail system and other modern, customer-focused amenities.
In 2013, the HCAA Board approved a historic three-phase Master Plan designed for future growth. It included the SkyConnect automated people mover system connecting to a state-of-the-art Rental Car Center, a commercial office complex, express curbs and a 16-gate Airside D.
To learn more about TPA’s history, visit the interactive timeline.