Workers used a crane to lift the brand-new shuttle cars onto the elevated guideway between the Airside and Main Terminal, preparing them for full installation and testing in the coming months.

The first pair of brand-new shuttles arrived at Tampa International Airport’s Airside A early Wednesday morning, as crews worked overnight to lift the new cars onto the elevated guideway between the Airside and the Main Terminal.

Workers used a crane to raise the Blue shuttles from flatbed trucks early Wednesday, reversing the process they used to remove the old Blue cars earlier this month after three decades and more than a million miles of service.

“Installing these brand-new Blue shuttles at Airside A is a major milestone for the upgrades we’re making across Tampa International Airport’s facilities,” Airport Chief Development Officer Smitha Radhakrishnan said. “Our travelers have been using our signature shuttles for decades, and we’re proud to start installing these state-of-the-art vehicles to help enhance their journey going forward.”

The new shuttle cars are sleek, updated versions of the automated technology originally made famous by TPA’s hub-and-spoke layout. This is the third generation of these vehicles, still manufactured by the same company that made the old cars, and feature updated interiors with durable flooring and video screens. The new cars are also quieter and more energy efficient.

While these cars are brand new, the passenger journey aboard the shuttles will continue to be the smooth and familiar experience TPA travelers have had since the modern Airport was opened.

“Tampa International Airport and Alstom have a longstanding partnership in innovation, starting with the introduction of the world’s first driverless Automated People Mover system in 1971,” said Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas, which manufactures the shuttles. “Our latest APM R shuttle cars, integral to the airport’s modernization, blend familiar designs with cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city.”

Now that they have been put in place, the new APM-300R cars will be commissioned and tested with new software, and will go into operation later this year. Then the old Red shuttle cars will be removed and replaced. Airside C will undergo a similar replacement in the coming months.

The guideway rehabilitation and shuttle car replacement, which includes design and running surfaces, plus eight cars with their controls and signaling systems, is budgeted to cost $61 million. The project is being funded with bonds and state grants.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved the shuttle replacement in October 2021.

Replacement cars have already been ordered for Airside E and the forthcoming Airside D, scheduled to open in 2028. Airside F, which has the newest cars of all the Airsides, is due to get new shuttles in the future.