An artist's rendering of Airside D at Tampa International Airport.
Credit: Tampa International Airport
The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
A $1.5 billion expansion of Tampa International Airport (TPA) was approved by the board of directors of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which governs TPA. The new terminal, dubbed Airside D, will add 16 gates to the airport. Construction is scheduled to start this year and be completed in late 2028. TPA CEO Michael Stephens said the project is “more than a new terminal … Once complete, Airside D will serve as Tampa Bay's international gateway.” The airport added that, “Airside D will help TPA, which currently serves about 25 million passengers per year, accommodate the region's growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.” The building will span 600,000 ft.2
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), Poland’s flagship transport infrastructure project combining a new international airport with a nationwide high-speed rail and road network, invited interested companies to take part in “open market consultations [regarding] planned hydrogen fuel infrastructure.” CPK said the consultations “form part of [CPK’s] long-term approach to the development of modern airport infrastructure and the reduction of emissions associated with its operation.” CPK added that the “implementation of a hydrogen fuel system at the new national airport will enable a reduction in emissions and the diversification of energy sources used by airport infrastructure vehicles.” The consultations will be informational and not part of a procurement process, CPK said. “The discussions will focus on the planning and construction of infrastructure, in particular hydrogen refueling stations for airport vehicles,” according to CPK. “Their purpose is to obtain general information and recommendations, to analyze the hydrogen energy market and to compile a catalog of good practices relating to existing infrastructure of this type worldwide, with particular emphasis on airports.” Located between Warsaw and Lodz, CPK is envisioned as the largest airport in Central and Eastern Europe and one of the top 15 hubs in Europe. The project combines two parallel runways, a high-capacity rail hub and extensive road links, serving a catchment area of 21 million people. It is slated to open in 2032. The hydrogen consultations are scheduled to begin on Feb. 25.
Eindhoven Airport (EIN) in the Netherlands said construction of its terminal expansion, set to be completed in July 2027, reached its highest point with the placement of a wooden roof beam. At its highest point, the terminal is approximately 14-m (46-ft.) tall. “The terminal expansion is the largest construction project in the history of the airport,” EIN said, noting the terminal will grow by 12,000 m2 (129,167 ft.2). Approximately 1,100 solar panels will be installed on the roof during the construction process, adding to 1,900 that already exist on the terminal’s roof. “The expansion will soon offer our passengers significantly more space and comfort,” EIN CEO Roel Hellemons said. The current terminal covers approximately 26,000 m2. “The terminal is being expanded because it has become too small for the current number of passengers, which is around 7 million per year,” EIN said. “The existing terminal was designed to handle 5 million passengers annually.”
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky said it completed $364 million in projects as part of its SDF Next Program as of the end of 2025, with more than $565 million in additional projects expected to be completed by 2028. SDF said it made progress in 2025 on a security checkpoint expansion, which will feature 30,000 square feet added and 10 new passenger screening lanes. The security checkpoint is scheduled to be completed in early 2027. Additionally, the first phase of taxiway B reconstruction was completed last year “along with various electrical upgrades and pavement rehabilitation to areas of SDF's runways and taxiways,” the airport said. Reconstruction of taxiways B and D are expected to cost a total of $40 million. SDF is home to UPS Airlines’ Worldport base hub.
East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the UK completed the construction of gatehouses serving as security checkpoints to access EMA’s cargo aprons for airport staff and personnel working for airlines and ground services providers. “The new gatehouse serving the east apron—home to UPS, FedEx and Royal Mail among others—also provides access for airport personnel to the central apron where passenger aircraft stand and is almost six times bigger than the previous facility,” the airport said. The gatehouses span 400 m2 (4,300 ft.2) and cost £10.5 million ($14.3 million) to build. The security area has been “fitted out with two security lanes for people on foot and [a] vehicle airlock where security checks are carried out." Throughput capacity will be doubled compared to previous facilities.
Birmingham Airport (BHX), England, has unveiled a financial support package aimed at attracting the return of nonstop service between Birmingham and New York. The incentive program would see the airport invest several million dollars to support the launch of daily scheduled flights from summer 2027, alongside marketing and operational incentives as the route matures. The airport says demand is proven, with about 485,000 U.S.-bound passengers from the West Midlands currently traveling via other UK gateways each year. “We have been in airline discussions where we are reassured it is not if, but when direct US connectivity returns to BHX,” CEO Nick Barton says. “Now is the time to turn those conversations into a critical connection as the demand and business case is proven.”
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