Tampa International Airport Opens New Airside E Security Screening Checkpoint

The expanded space adds nearly 20,000 square feet to the Airside and includes cutting-edge screening technology to modernize the traveler experience.

Tampa International Airport on Monday kicked off its annual spring break travel period with a big change at Airside E, officially dedicating a 19,542-square-foot security checkpoint filled with new screening equipment.

The new space is a major upgrade for Airside E, which was designed and built prior to the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration and opened in 2002. The additional queueing space allows the checkpoint to expand from six to seven lanes, featuring the latest screening technology.

Airport CEO Joe Lopano praised the teamwork involved in upgrading the Airside’s checkpoint just as passenger traffic was increasing for TPA’s busiest travel period of the year.

“With our busy Spring Break travel period kicking off this month, this is a great time to be able to celebrate the opening of this checkpoint,” Lopano said. “The fast-paced growth at TPA in recent years led us to right-size the space to modernize and enhance traveler safety and security, thanks to the dedication of all the partners involved in this project.”

Lopano was joined by U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, Transportation Security Administration Federal Security Director Kirk Skinner and Suffolk Construction’s General Manager in Tampa Jim Scarpace.

Lee was representing a group Tampa Bay Congressional delegates including Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Kathy Castor, Scott Franklin, Anna Paulina Luna, Greg Steube, who worked together to procure the TSA screening equipment for the Airport.

“What a pleasure it was to see months of hard work come to fruition today at Tampa International Airport,” Lee said. “I am proud to have played a part in securing funding for the new TSA security screening equipment at TPA to help streamline and improve the security process and ensure residents and visitors can travel safely and efficiently. The Tampa Bay Area has seen monumental growth in recent years, and I am excited to keep working to invest in technology and infrastructure that supports the growth of our entire region.”

The checkpoint is accessible through a new passageway in the southeast corner of the Airside E shuttle lobby. With ample windows and high ceilings, the area has 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 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 $65.1 million and is being funded almost entirely with bonds and $525,000 in FDOT grants.