Fewer Corporate Flights, But TIA Busy After Super Bowl

By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2009

Updated: 02/12/2009 01:40 pm

TAMPA - As predicted, the nation's economic malaise took its toll on corporate aircraft travel to Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1, when 220 corporate planes used Tampa International Airport compared with about 420 for Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa in 2001.

An estimated 33,000 people departed Tampa International Airport on commercial flights the day after the game, a Monday when the airport normally would handle about 20,000 departing passengers, airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said.

While short of record daily figures, the airport was busy and remained busy on Tuesday, Geoghagan said.

Super Bowl merchandise sales were a little more than $1 million, compared with $1.3 million in 2001.

The good news? "Everything went smoothly," airport director Louis Miller said.

Airport officials prepared special ground aircraft control operations that helped 127 of the 220 corporate aircraft leave TIA within two hours after airways were freed from special security measures after 11 p.m. Feb. 1 .

The Transportation Security Administration operated all 27 of the airport's passenger security lanes at the main terminal during the busiest periods. TSA used its 600 employees assigned to the airport, plus 50 from Orlando International Airport and special security teams, said Gary Milano, who heads TSA operations in Tampa Bay.

The airport also handled 27 charter flights, 30 more commercial fights in addition to regularly scheduled flights and 20 flights using larger aircraft than normally scheduled, Miller said.

Super Bowl traffic also declined at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, spokeswoman Michele Routh said.

The airport reported 135 aircraft parked on the ground at game time compared with 150 aircraft during the 2001 Super Bowl, down 10 percent.

Over the course of the Super Bowl weekend from Thursday through Monday, fixed base operators handled 258 general aviation/corporate aircraft compared with 295 aircraft in 2001, down 13 percent.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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Fewer Corporate Flights, But TIA Busy After Super Bowl