Dive Brief:
- UPS plans to open a $79.5 million new sorting facility at Tampa International Airport (TPA) to support its Next Day Air deliveries for Tampa Bay and Florida’s west coast.
- The 40,000-square-foot cargo building will be able to sort up to 7,500 packages per hour, according to a March 28 airport release.
- UPS will lease the facility, expected to be mostly complete by the end of 2023, from the airport’s Aviation Authority.
Dive Insight:
The facility will roughly double the space UPS currently uses at the airport, a TPA spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive.
Construction will span across 18 acres on the east side of the airport, and the project includes an aircraft parking ramp and an expanded taxilane to be shared with neighboring FedEx, according to the release. UPS’ complex will also feature truck courts, trailer parking and an employee parking lot.
UPS currently uses an air cargo building north of the Main Terminal, which will eventually become the site of TPA’s new passenger terminal. The nearly $80 million project was initially approved by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors in 2019, but was delayed until mid 2022 due to the pandemic. The project is receiving funding from a combination of bonds, state grants, City of Tampa and Passenger Facility Charges.
In February, Tampa International Airport handled more than 28,000,000 pounds of cargo, down nearly 10% YoY, according to the latest airport statistics. In 2022, the airport handled roughly 459.1 million pounds of cargo in total, the spokesperson said. Other cargo operators at the airport include FedEx, Atlas Air and Amazon-operator Sun Country Airlines.
On average, UPS transported 1,992 Next Day Air packages in 2022, down nearly 5% YoY, according to a Jan. 21 filing.
UPS isn’t the only company looking to grow its operational footprint in Florida. Amazon has been ramping up flights at its largest hubs including Lakeland Linder International (LAL), which is just east of TPA.
