Tampa International Airport is celebrating two significant new air service declarations Thursday, which will help strengthen Tampa Bay’s connections all through the country and restore service past pre-pandemic levels.
Gold country Airlines will start a new nonstop service route among Tampa and Portland (PDX) beginning Dec. 16.
Furthermore, American Airlines will likewise begin nonstop daily service to Los Angeles (LAX) starting Oct. 7, and twice-daily service to Nashville (BNA) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) launching Nov. 2.
The new association with Portland will help connect Tampa with one of its biggest unserved destinations, while American Airlines will permit their service to surpass pre-pandemic levels out of TPA.
“We are thrilled that American and Alaska see the same opportunity in Tampa Bay that we see,” said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano. “Our future is bright and we are extremely grateful that our airlines continue to grow and succeed at TPA.”
The seasonal service with Alaska Airlines is required to work four days per week between Dec. 16 and April 18 on board a Boeing 737. Flights will leave Portland at 12:10 p.m. also, will show up in Tampa at 8:29 p.m. Departing flights will leave TPA the next day at 8 a.m., showing up in Portland at 11 a.m.
“Since March, our bookings for leisure travel have exceeded what they were before the pandemic. For many of our guests, there’s an increased confidence that comes after being vaccinated. They were cooped up for well over a year – now they’re ready to relax, enjoy and explore,” said Brett Catlin, the vice president of Network and Alliances at Alaska Airlines. “With these new routes, we can whisk them away to destinations that have a warm sparkle in the wintertime.”
The new American assistance makes the aircraft TPA’s second largest carrier.
“Any time an airline adds more service at TPA it’s a win for our region, but American’s addition of five new daily point-to-point flights – including a transcontinental nonstop to LAX – is a terrific demonstration of its confidence in our vibrant market,” said Lopano.