TIA needs bigger global profile

Travelers who want to fly nonstop from Tampa overseas have slim pickings. Tampa International Airport has fewer international nonstops today than it did in 2000, Even back then the list - London, Frankfurt, Canada and the Caribbean - hardly befit a region with varied ethnic roots, popular beaches, a fast-growing economy and proximity to tourist sites. There is no easy solution for expanding foreign gateways. So it is good to see the airport and area business leaders brainstorm along a broad front.

A town hall meeting Monday between airport and community leaders should help continue to build on growing efforts to expand direct flights between Tampa and several foreign destinations. Airport officials are looking to expand existing service to London and create or resurrect service to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Nassau and western U.S. states, as a launch pad to Asia.

The Caribbean and Latin America make sense. Tampa - indeed Florida - has strong cultural ties to the Americas. The short flights also make air travel competitive with the cruise ship industry, especially for weekend or impulse travelers. Direct flights would make it easier for business leaders to expand Tampa Bay's international profile, whether drawing business to the beaches or the ports or attracting new residents and foreign investors. Miami clearly has the edge for the foreseeable future, given its hub for American Airlines. But Tampa is close and big enough to mine a secondary market. The airport should make pursuing the Americas a regional priority.

Airports can offer incentives, and TIA should aggressively market the region and its first-class facility. But airlines fly where it makes financial sense. Carriers pulled out years ago because they did not fill planes. The region also is weakened by not being home to a major corporate anchor. These are larger barriers to expanding flights that limit the airport's leverage. But it is good to see TIA and business leaders work together to expand service. Local governments can help by doing more to stoke the region's international appeal.

[Last modified August 31, 2007, 01:10:44]