Tampa International Airport

    Tampa International Airport (TPA) is one of five major airports in Florida.  Together with Orlando International Airport it provides air service for central Florida and the Tampa Bay area.  Although TPA is not a hub for any airline it remains an important airport especially in the leisure travel arena.  Airlines such as Delta, Jet Blue and Southwest compete vigorously for the traffic in and out of TPA.

    The pictures below were taken in 1984 during a plane watching visit to TPA.  Six of the airlines pictured here no longer exist, Eastern, Frontier Horizon, Pan Am and Wardair went out of business.  Piedmont is now part of US Airways and TWA is part of American.  Of the surviving carriers only British Airways has managed to stay out of bankruptcy court.  Additionally, none of the liveries used in 1984 is in use now, with most of the carriers going through at least two different livery re-designs up to 2006.