As you may be aware, the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce recently shared a letter expressing support for a Regional MPO, while raising concerns about voting representation for Tampa International Airport and Port Tampa Bay. l appreciate the chamber’s engagement on this important issue and their recognition that our region functions more effectively as a single, interconnected economic ecosystem. l write today to share why Tampa International Airport (TPA) is an essential force in regional transportation, and why it is imperative for the airport to be a founding and voting member of the proposed Regional MPO.
First, I want to clarify how we define what it means to be a regional asset and how representation on a Regional MPO should reflect that reality. Tampa International Airport operates under the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA), an independent special district of the State of Florida. It is not – and has never been – a subordinate department of Hillsborough County.
From its inception, HCAA and Tampa International Airport were established with a regional purpose and have operated consistently in that manner ever since. This is not a recent evolution. It reflects how we were designed and how we have operated for decades. Our governance includes a majority of state-appointed members, and our fiduciary responsibility is to the traveling public and the state economy as a whole. Our master planning, air service development, infrastructure investment and community engagement are all driven by the needs and growth of the broader Tampa Bay region. Our role is defined not by geography, but by function, responsibility and sustained practice. Today, that regional role is even more evident in both data and experience:
- TPA serves approximately 25 million passengers annually
- TPA generates more than $11 billion in economic impact across the region
- TPA serves a primary catchment of more than 3.3 million residents and a broader region of approximately 5.7 million people
- Nearly 30% of TPA’s passengers originate from Pinellas County Pinellas County is not merely adjacent to Tampa International Airport. We share a long reciprocal relationship, and Pinellas is integral to our regional and global success. Pinellas residents rely on Tampa International Airport for business travel, tourism access and global connectivity. Your economy benefits directly from the visitors, commerce and opportunities that flow through TPA every day. In every possible way, the airport operates as a shared regional transportation infrastructure.
The proposed regional MPO is charged with guiding long-term investment, prioritizing infrastructure and positioning our region for sustained growth and competitiveness. The airport is not only part of that system, it is one of its primary drivers. Decisions made within the MPO directly influence access, capacity, connectivity and economic opportunity across all three counties and at TPA.
That brings us to the central issue before us. If governance is to reflect how our transportation system truly operates, then it must include the institutions that are essential to that system.
We fully support governance structures that promote equity, collaboration and shared accountability. However, we believe a regional planning organization should be informed by regional transportation voices. Respectfully, excluding Tampa International Airport from a voting role would not improve balance and regional planning outcomes instead, it would risk critical funding opportunities and create a disconnect between key planning decisions and the transportation systems those decisions are meant to support, weakening regional alignment and, ultimately, impacting the residents and communities we are all responsible for serving.
TPA is recognized as one of the most effective organizations in the region for fostering true collaboration. Our team has literally traveled the world with Visit St. Pete Clearwater and the Pinellas Department of Economic Development and their Global Tampa Bay partners to win and support new nonstop flights and new airlines for our region. The first tri-county meeting between Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough was hosted at TPA building upon the deep connections formed on a business mission together to London in support of our new Virgin Atlantic flights.
We truly value our longstanding partnership with Pinellas County and remain deeply committed to supporting its residents, businesses and long—term economic success. I look forward to joining you on April 21 to provide an update on Tampa International Airport and to continue our shared work around strengthening regional mobility and economic connectivity across the Tampa Bay Region.
Michael Stephens is the CEO of Tampa International Airport. Stephens sent this letter to Dave Eggers and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
