Tampa International Airport in Florida has opened a new 19,542ft2 security checkpoint, complete with new screening equipment, at Airside E.
Airside E was designed and built prior to the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and opened in 2002. The upgrade expands the checkpoint from six to seven lanes, each with modern security technology.
The checkpoint is accessible through a new passageway in the southeast corner of the Airside E shuttle lobby. The area has been designed to have a brighter and more open feeling than the previous checkpoint, which will be reconfigured as part of the renovation.
Airside A, which opened in 1995, is undergoing a similar expansion for its checkpoint, and is scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved funding for the project, which includes both Airsides, at its August 2023 meeting. The project has a construction cost of US$65.1m and is being funded almost entirely with bonds and US$525,000 in Florida Department of Technology grants.
In December 2024, Tampa broke ground on the new Airside D terminal, which is scheduled to open to the public in 2028. Read more about it here.