Interview: Joe Lopano, CEO

Silver linings

Reduced passenger traffic allowed the acceleration of essential projects at Tampa International Airport

Joe Lopano

CEO – Tampa International Airport

What positives emerged from the pandemic in 2020? The silver lining in all of this is we were able to accelerate some essential projects, especially those that were roadway-related. One such project is our main terminal curbside expansion, which will now include express curbs. We were able to build that much more efficiently, taking advantage of reduced passenger activity. Our roadways coming into the airport also were going to be widened and this was a perfect time to do that because there was not a lot of automobile traffic coming in. Then we have our Central Utility Plant and our SkyCenter office building. We have been able to keep those projects on schedule. In parallel, all of our contractors operated in a safe environment. We’re elated with what we could do in this terrible time.

What does the SkyCenter office building mean for Tampa? The fact that you can work in the morning, leave your office at noon, have dinner in Chicago with a client and be back in your office the next day without ever moving your car, without ever driving in traffic is a unique kind of experience. There are only a few office complexes around the world where you can say that is the case. It’s a unique property. It has a unique selling proposition and we are confident it’s going to be a highly successful real estate investment. It’s slated for delivery in the summer of 2021 and we plan to move into our three floors in the spring of 2022.

How do you see the acceleration of e-commerce impacting your cargo operations? FedEx, UPS and Amazon are important business partners and play critical roles at TPA and in our community. Cargo is growing steadily in the airport, primarily due to the Amazon effect. We actually have Amazon’s own airplanes, Boeing 767s and 737s that have been converted to freighters, flying into the airport. The e-commerce giant has also purchased a fleet of Mercedes-Benz delivery trucks. We have had more meals delivered and products brought to the front porch than I ever dreamed possible. It’s going to continue and all airports are going to be essential distribution points.

The revenues we get from cargo operations are limited, however. That is because boxes do not eat hamburgers or read magazines. Only one quarter of our revenues come from airlines paying us to use our infrastructure. Cargo carriers only pay a landing fee and some facility rentals. It’s not a tremendously profitable airport operation but it is a tremendously profitable operation for the community in the sense that they employ a lot of people, including truck drivers and warehouse workers. It’s critical for major economic centers such as ours to remain vital.