Baggage claim area at the bottom of a set of escalators

Tampa International Airport Baggage Claim Renovation and Expansion

Tampa International Airport Baggage Claim Renovation and Expansion | Tampa, Florida

The baggage claim area at the Tampa International Airport was expanded to handle a forecasted increase of 2.5 million more arrivals at the airport over the next 10 years. 30,000-sq.-ft. of new construction was added to allow for the relocation of airline offices and restrooms, to increase circulation area, and make room for new bag claim conveyor devices. All existing bag claim conveyor devices were removed and replaced with 14 newly redesigned devices with longer conveyor belts and integrated computer controls that allow for maintenance diagnostics and improved security. All finishes in the bag claim area were updated including the removal of old carpet and the installation of new terrazzo floors.

Much time was spent on phasing the project. To keep the baggage claim process operating smoothly during the construction and replacement phases, only one or two claim devices could be out of service at a time. The team had to be conscious of which airline would be impacted, the time of year work would be performed (as traffic at the airport fluctuates tremendously throughout the year), and whether airport operations would be adversely affected. All work was safely completed while the airport remained fully operational.