The Tampa, Florida Airport may not compete with Singapore’s Changi Airport, which I featured several days ago, but it doesn’t have to. Tampa is not a world-class destination like Singapore. However, Tampa’s airport has won some Best Large Airport awards in the United States.

Why all this airport coverage? Well, I like architecture even if it’s just the boxy kind like most airports. But more significantly, my travels have reinforced how woefully inadequate Austin’s airport has become, and I enjoy sharing examples of what more spacious accommodations look like in other cities.

Austin’s 26-year-old airport was designed for 15 million passengers but currently handles over 20 million. That’s why it always seems to be packed. I was blown away by the spaciousness of Tampa’s design, and the entire airport seems significantly larger. That confused me because the population of Tampa is only 414,000, compared to Austin’s 993,000.

However, comparing the metro areas makes more sense. Tampa’s metro area has a population of 3 million, compared to Austin’s 2.3 million. Still, it’s clear Austin needs to upgrade their facilities, which they are scrambling to do right now.

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