TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa International Airport is expecting fewer travelers to pass through its terminals this Labor Day weekend compared to last year.
Airport officials expect about 185,000 passengers to travel through TPA from Thursday through Tuesday, averaging roughly 31,000 passengers per day. That’s down from about 202,000 travelers during the Labor Day travel period in 2025, a decrease of roughly 17,000 passengers, or about 8%.
TPA officials say the decline is likely due to a combination of slightly fewer people choosing to travel and airlines reducing the number of available seats and flights out of Tampa.
The lower passenger count comes as travelers are also paying more to fly.
AAA says domestic flights for the Labor Day travel period are about 20% more expensive than they were last year.
Local aviation expert Kari Goetz, with Winzig Consulting, said several factors could be contributing to higher fares, but the biggest is fuel costs.
“It’s the same thing that we’re feeling when we fill up our gas tanks,” Goetz said. “We haven’t seen any changes with instability in the Middle East; we’re not seeing fuel supply chains changing, so as a result the fuel prices are up and airlines are passing that on to their customers.”
Travelers heading to Tampa International Airport should also be prepared for a significant change at the red departures drop-off area.
The typical drop-off area is closed for construction, and all travelers headed to red departures will be routed to the ‘Red Express’ area. From there, teams of employees will direct travelers through a temporary walkway and into the main terminal for bag drop and ticketing.
Baggage carts and wheelchairs, as well as wheelchair assistance, are available at the red express area while the detour is in place.
TPA also says both passenger shuttles serving Airsides A and C are operating again, which should help alleviate some of the lines travelers have experienced getting to and from security checkpoints.