Tampa International Airport outlined plans for future air taxi routes across Tampa Bay, including a connection between Tampa and St. Petersburg, as it advances a $1.5 billion terminal expansion tied to regional growth.
Airport CEO Michael Stephens told the Pinellas County Commission the airport is working with state, federal and industry partners to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or air taxis, into the region’s transportation network. Early plans include connections between Tampa International and Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands, along with other sites for multimodal travel.
“We are looking to be the epicenter of flying cars,” Stephens said, adding that Florida is expected to play a leading role in early deployment, with the Tampa–Orlando corridor positioned as a key test market.
Stephens said the effort is part of a broader push to improve regional mobility, where daily travel between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties relies on limited bridge crossings.
“We have to lean into how we connect this region on a number of modalities,” he said.
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The airport is also continuing work on Airside D, a 16-gate, 600,000-square-foot terminal that will serve as its main international facility. The project is designed to support growth from about 25 million passengers to as many as 35 million by 2037.
Stephens told commissioners that Pinellas County accounts for “almost a quarter of the total TPA traffic,” linking growth to tourism and the cross-bay workforce. He said increased international service reflects demand for Pinellas County’s beaches and visitor activity.
The project is moving into vertical construction after site work that began with a December 2024 groundbreaking. Once complete, the terminal will expand customs capacity, add airline lounges and improve passenger flow.
During the spring break travel period, Tampa International handled more than 3 million passengers, with “the longest wait time approximately 22 minutes,” even as delays at other major airports stretched significantly longer.
Stephens also noted the scale of the airport’s workforce, with about 10,000 employees on campus each day, including thousands who commute across the bay.
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