Airport to receive $81M as part of COVID-19 relief package

Tampa International Airport, facing a 97% drop in business, gets help from the federal CARES Act.

By Business Observer Staff
| 10:45 a.m. April 22, 2020
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Tampa International will receive $81 million as part of an airline industry bailout made possible by the federal CARES Act. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Jackdude101.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

TAMPA — Tampa International Airport is set to receive $81 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which authorized the Department of Transportation to disburse $10 billion in funding to U.S. airports.

According to a press release, TIA has seen a 97% decrease in business as a result of social distancing and travel restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The airline industry as a whole has sustained losses of some $14 billion.

“I’m thankful to our team, our trade partners, and the entire Tampa Bay area legislative delegation for their support in securing this money,” TIA CEO Joe Lopano states in the release. “We want to ensure we’re continuing to keep up with our projected passenger numbers and the growth of this region while also being fiscally responsible given this unforeseen crisis."

TIA supports more than 120,000 travel-related jobs in the Tampa Bay region, the release states.