Tampa, Florida: A Hub Of Aviation With Multiple Airports

Tampa, Florida is served by a number of airports, both public and private. The leading international airport in the area is Tampa International Airport, which offers direct flights from most major destinations in the US and several international cities. Tampa Bay's second international airport is St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Other airports in the area include Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, Tampa Executive Airport, Plant City Municipal Airport, Peter O. Knight Airport, MacDill Air Force Base, Geraci Airpark, Commercial Gate for MacDill AFB, and Mezrah Seaplane Base. In total, there are 16 airports in the Tampa, Florida area.

Tampa International Airport

The airport covers an area of 3,300 acres (13 km2) and has three runways. It features a central Landside Terminal for baggage and ticketing functions, surrounded by four Airside satellites for embarkment and disembarkment. There are currently four active airsides (A, C, E, and F), with a total of 59 gates. Each airside includes a food court and gift shop, and Airsides E and F also have duty-free shops for international travellers.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

In November 2024, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport announced direct flights to eight new cities, including Albany, New York, and Knoxville, Tennessee. This brought the total number of nonstop destinations served by all airlines at the airport to 67.

The airport has also seen impressive passenger growth in recent years. In June 2024, 337,656 passengers travelled through the airport, a 9.2% increase compared to June 2023. The 12-month activity through June 2024 totalled 4,464,157 passengers, a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year.

The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport also offers a range of amenities and services to ensure a pleasant travel experience. The airport has a memorial tribute display honouring Tennis Hall of Famer Nick Bollettieri, which was unveiled in August 2024. It also participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, aiding individuals with non-visible disabilities and providing them with the necessary support during their travel.

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport

St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE, ICAO: KPIE, FAA LID: PIE) is a public/military airport in Pinellas County, Florida, serving the Tampa Bay Area. It is located on the northeast municipal boundary of Pinellas Park, 9 miles (14 km) north of downtown St. Petersburg, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Clearwater, and 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Tampa.

The airport began as a World War II military training base, Pinellas Army Airfield, and later became Pinellas International Airport, where its identifier "PIE" originated. In 1958, the name was changed to St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport. Today, the airport covers 1900 acres (769 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 18/36, which is 9,730 by 150 feet (2,966 x 46 m), and 04/22, which is 6,000 by 150 feet (1,829 x 46 m).

St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport offers non-stop air service to 65 destinations and is a quick drive to Pinellas County's beaches, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa. The airport is also less busy than Tampa International Airport and is frequently used by pilots of private planes and executive jets. Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier based in Las Vegas, has a focus city at St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport and offers non-stop routes to destinations such as Colorado Springs and Savannah, GA.

The airport is home to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, the largest and busiest U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in the United States, as well as an Army Aviation Support Facility for the U.S. Army Reserve. Other important federal government services at the airport include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-operated control tower, the FAA's Central Florida Region Automated Flight Service Station, and the St. Petersburg VORTAC for airways navigation.

Tampa Executive Airport

There are 16 airports in Tampa, Florida, both public and private. One of these airports is Tampa Executive Airport, formerly known as Vandenberg Airport. It is located in unincorporated Hillsborough County, six nautical miles (11km) east of Tampa's central business district. The airport covers 411 acres (166 ha) of land and has two runways, one 3,264 feet and the other 5,000 feet. The airport is operated by Skyport Aviation, which is the only fixed-base operator on the field providing fuel and other services to general aviation aircraft.

MacDill Air Force Base

Tampa, Florida, is served by several airports, both public and private. One of these is MacDill Air Force Base, an active US Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa. The base was constructed just before World War II as MacDill Field, a US Army Air Corps installation, and later became an independent US Air Force base in September 1947.

MacDill AFB has a long history of serving various military functions and has been home to several different wings and squadrons over the years. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base for B-47 Stratojet bombers. In the 1960s, it transitioned to a Tactical Air Command (TAC) installation, operating the F-84 Thunderstreak and later the F-4 Phantom II jet fighters. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the base proved its strategic value as a staging area and crisis response force.

MacDill AFB is currently home to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, commanded by Colonel Edward Szczepanik, and its associated squadrons, including the 310th Airlift Squadron and the 50th and 91st Air Refueling Squadrons. The base also hosts the headquarters for two of the US military's unified combatant commands: the United States Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command. Additionally, it serves as the headquarters for two subunified commands: the Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command, and the United States Special Operations Command Central.

The base has a variety of facilities to support its personnel, including lodging, a commissary, a base exchange, and various Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) activities such as a swimming pool, movie theater, marina, and golf course. Approximately 15,000 people work at MacDill Air Force Base, and it is a significant contributor to Tampa's economy.

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