Tampa airport to hire employees, give raises

Sept. 07--TAMPA -- Tampa International Airport plans to add employees next year and award raises averaging 2.5 percent, the second time raises have been budgeted since 2008.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority on Thursday unanimously approved a budget for the coming fiscal year that projects revenues of $183 million, a 3.6 percent increase over this year. Expenditures are projected to be $98.6 million, a 4.7 percent increase.

The airport currently employs 573 people. It plans to hire 13, increasing salaries and benefits to $48.9 million, an increase of $3.5 million.

Aviation Authority members were told the airport is making a transition from a "turnaround" budget to a "growth" budget for fiscal 2013, a year in which departing passengers are expected to increase by 2 percent to 8.6 million people.

Because the airport generally reports as many inbound as outbound passengers, that means more than 17 million passengers are expected to use the airport next year.

Those passenger projections are conservative, said Koni Cassini, the aviation authority's vice president of finance, administration and procurement. In addition, airport officials expect parking revenue will increase and the airport will benefit from a full year of new concessions introduced by airport Concessions Director Bhavesh Patel.

Revenue is derived from airline fees and charges along with food, beverage, merchandise and car rental concessions, parking fees and other sources.

In other news, Darcy Foster, the airport's director of government affairs since July 2005, resigned last week. Officials are evaluating how to structure the position.

Copyright 2012 - Tampa Tribune, Fla.