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Tampa airport's business is rising

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: October 13, 2009

TAMPA - For the first time in 18 months, Tampa International Airport in September reported an increase in ridership compared with year-ago figures, a departure from the decline in business and leisure travel shaped by the recession.

"This is great news, and hopefully it is an indication that we will return to growth during the next fiscal year," airport director Louis Miller says in an activity report sent to airlines Friday.

Tampa International reported a 2 percent gain to 560,000 departing passengers in September, customarily the airport's slowest travel month of the year. In September 2008, the airport reported a 12.3 percent decline in departing passengers to 549,001 compared with September 2007.
Ridership for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 was down 8.5 percent to 8.56 million departing passengers, the airport reported. That indicates a total of 17.1 million passengers used the airport during the fiscal year, as the number of arriving passengers generally is the same as those departing.

Officials predict a 2 percent increase in Tampa ridership for the 2010 fiscal year.
Orlando International Airport had a 9.1 percent decline in passengers from September 2008 through August, the most recent data available show.

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

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