Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF) plans to open four new hangars in 2026 as it seeks to serve 35 million annual passengers by 2027, officials said this week.
The new facilities are expected to add an additional 42,000 square feet to the Florida airport’s existing 55,000 square feet of hangar and office space. The projects will cost $6.4 million, which Tampa Executive said is the largest investment in general aviation infrastructure at the airport’s Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)-operated facilities.
The airport said the extra space will “strengthen economic activity” and position it for further growth. It handles about 100,000 operations and 25 million passengers annually, with accommodations for up to 75 T-hangars, 110 tie-down spots, and 32 shade ports.
One of the new hangars, built by FBO Skyport, adds 12,000 square feet and was completed in March. The other three, built by unnamed private developers, are also expected to come online this year.
A second 12,000-square-foot project began in June and is about halfway built, expected to be completed by the fall.
Another 12,000-square-foot installation will be split into two equally sized hangars and is in the “early construction phase,” the airport said. The fourth, a 6,000-square-foot facility, is “currently in final permitting.” The latter two projects are expected to be finished by year’s end.
Airport Improvements
The new hangars build on Tampa Executive’s other recent expansion efforts.
In 2025, the airport wrapped up the reconstruction of its primary runway, which began in 2020. It installed new signage, lighting, and electrical systems, as well as new taxiways to accommodate larger aircraft.
The airport also revamped its secondary runway and its taxiways. It remained open while the work—which cost $33 million and drew from Florida Department of Transportation funds and more than $5 million in Airport Improvement Program grants—was completed.
Efforts have continued into 2026. In February, Tampa Executive unveiled the final design of its 16-gate Airside D, its first new terminal in nearly two decades. Airside D will offer domestic and international service as soon as 2029, helping the airport achieve its target of 35 million annual passengers. Construction began in December and is expected to cost more than $1.5 billion.
Also in February, FBO Sheltair Aviation opened the airport’s ninth hangar complex, adding more than 50,000 square feet of hangar space. A new 50,000-square-foot apron accommodates up to three Boeing business jets.
The airport in 2026 also intends to overhaul its passenger shuttle system, reroof its Airside E terminal, and improve its main terminal ticketing level.
The HCAA’s board of directors in September allocated $835.5 million for 34 projects at Tampa Executive. That includes $285.7 million for the ticketing level improvements, $298.6 million to upgrade baggage systems at all terminals, funding for runway and taxiway maintenance, new passenger boarding bridges for Airside E, and other projects.
The airport expects to see 25.7 million visitors in its 2026 fiscal year—a 3.2 percent year-over-year increase that is expected to boost revenue by $12.8 million to $493 million.
