At Tampa International Airport (TPA), convenience is built into the entire experience. The airport’s Express Curbsides, the first of its kind in the United States, provide dedicated drop-off and pick-up points for travelers with carry-on luggage only, allowing them to bypass ticket counters and baggage claim.

By rethinking the curbside as more than a place to unload and pick up passengers, TPA transformed one. of the airport’s most congested touchpoints into a system that improves flow across its entire Main Terminal. Shifting travelers who don’t require checked baggage into express lobbies reduces curbside crowding, eases vehicular congestion and supports a faster, more intuitive experience for all users.

With the Blue Express Curbsides opening in 2021 and the Red Express Curbsides following in 2025, TPA doubled its curbside capacity as part of a longterm strategy for growth. Together, the facilities not only shorten the path from curb to cabin but also strengthen the airport’s ability to accommodate rising passenger volumes for decades to come.

Planning for the passenger

The Express Curbsides program was born from a master plan developed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA) in collaboration with HNTB to address airport capacity needs and lay a foundation for TPA’s future. First completed in 2012 and updated in 2017, the plan examined how the airport could continue to grow while maintaining the convenience and comfort travelers expected.

The plan identified that passenger traffic at TPA is projected to reach 39 million annually by 2042, growth that would maximize the capacity of the airport’s existing infrastructure. At the same time, traveler surveys revealed that more than half of TPA passengers fly with carry-on luggage only. Those insights prompted a fundamental question: How can the passenger experience be faster and more intuitive for everyone?

The answer was Express Curbsides. By rethinking the curbside as a launchpad for a smoother, more personalized experience, the solution improves flow for all passengers, not just those using the Express Curbsides.

Passengers traveling with carry-on luggage exit vehicles at the curbside, enter dedicated express lobbies and proceed directly to the third floor. Enclosed pedestrian bridges guide them to the Main Terminal’s Transfer Level, where automated people movers (APMs) deliver them to the security checkpoint in their respective airside terminal. Arriving passengers reverse the journey.

“People who are checking bags often are traveling as a group and tend to need a little more time at the curb,” said Andrés Chacón, HNTB aviation group director. “By shifting about half of the previous traveler load, those with carry-on luggage only, to the Red and Blue Express Curbsides, we’ve created a smoother, more efficient experience for everyone at the curb.”

Building on the master plan vision, HNTB served as architect and engineer of record on the progressive design-build team, helping translate the passenger-first concept into a coordinated system of roadways, lobbies, structures and connections that could be delivered while the airport remained fully operational.

A master plan in action

The master plan established a deliberate, three-phase approach to managing growth while keeping TPA fully operational.

Phase One: Decongestion

This phase removed the rental car facilities outbound of both north and south existing curbsides to a consolidated rental car facility off campus, reached by an APM system. Before the rental car facilities were moved, passengers were forced to cross active traffic lanes, causing safety issues as well as vehicular congestion. Moving the rental car facility dramatically decreased the amount of cars on TPA’s George J. Bean Boulevard, the main access point to the airport. In addition, removing the rental car facilities cleared the sites for both Express Curbsides.

Phase Two: Enabling

With congestion reduced, the airport turned attention to new opportunities, such as the Express Curbsides, a new central utility plant (CUP), police and maintenance facility and other support buildings. All of this work, designed by HNTB, enabled the main terminal to accommodate the third phase.

Phase Three: Growth

The final phase features TPA’s 16-gate Airside D, the airport’s first new terminal in almost 20 years. HNTB also is the lead designer, architect and engineer of record for this new world-class facility.

The APM shuttle station for Airside D at the Main Terminal was originally scheduled for the third phase of the master plan. However, HNTB identified that the future APM shuttle station would be difficult to thread. in once the new curbsides roadway was active, and an additional structure would have to be built to support it. Therefore, the landside facility was constructed within phase two to allow the Red Express lobby and the station to be designed simultaneously. The lobby structurally supports the station, and designing them together minimized columns and other obstructions on the lobby’s lower level.

Wayfinding woven into every detail

Every design element doubles as a guide, integrating wayfinding with the architecture. Terrazzo flooring patterns and decorative glass feature walls guide passengers intuitively through the space. At the center of each lobby, HNTB designed a unique graphic, abstractly representing Tampa Bay’s iconic mangrove trees. The artwork rises through multiple floors, framed by a monumental staircase, creating a striking vertical composition. Natural wood cladding on the undersides of escalators and the main staircase evokes Florida’s iconic boardwalks, adding warmth and texture to the experience.

“Everything about the space is designed to move people intuitively, from the artwork and floor patterns to the vertical circulation,” said Mathew Hallett, senior design principal at HNTB. “You’re guided through the building without having to think about it.”

These tactile and visual cues complement TPA’s longstanding commitment to art as a defining element of its identity. Known for one of the most extensive and distinctive public art programs in any U.S. airport,  TPA has cultivated a deep connection to Tampa’s creative culture through installations across terminals, curbsides and passenger spaces.

For the Express Curbsides, embedding art within the architecture was essential. TPA incorporated six works by national and international artists, enriching the traveler’s journey with moments of discovery and cultural expression.

“Adding these art pieces to our portfolio reinforces our reputation as an art airport and gives us a new opportunity to inspire and create conversations among visitors,” said Dan Seeley, TPA director of construction.

Unified expertise

The project’s progressive design-build delivery method enabled the continuous overlap between the design and construction phases and fostered collaboration, ultimately aiding in managing the project’s complexity.

During design, HNTB and the contractor, Hensel Phelps, were co-located in HNTB’s offices. Once construction began, the two teams moved into trailers on the airport’s property to. ensure constant. communication.

“The same HNTB team has worked with TPA since the development of the master plan,” Chacón said. “Our success on the Express Curbsides program has come from listening, understanding the opportunities and developing solutions that meet TPA’s needs and exceed their expectations.”

That long-standing team familiarity translated directly into quality.

“When you keep the same team together, you don’t lose momentum,” Hallett said. “We knew the project inside and out, we knew how each other worked, and that has made it possible to deliver the same level of quality at every step along the way.”

A new standard for airports

The completion of TPA’s Express Curbsides is more than an expansion. By doubling curbside capacity and reducing congestion, this program has redefined the passenger experience and positioned TPA as a leader in airport design innovation.

“We are ecstatic with the way it came out,” Seeley said. “It has been a fantastic success.” The Express Curbsides unlock the next chapter of TPA’s master plan: Airside D. With construction scheduled for completion in 2028, this new terminal will serve both domestic and international flights, adding gates and delivering a design that emphasizes adaptability, clarity and a strong sense of place. Its connection to the Main Terminal will be seamless, thanks to the infrastructure established during the Express Curbsides program, including the integrated APM station.

Together, these projects reflect a single vision to create an airport experience that is efficient, intuitive and distinctly Tampa.