Peter O. Knight Airport (KTPF) in Tampa, Florida, has resumed accepting nighttime flights two months after the field was ravaged by wind and storm surges resulting from two hurricanes.
On September 26, KTPF was inundated by up to 4 feet of salt water as Hurricane Helene passed offshore of Tampa Bay, causing damage to the runway lighting system and hangars.
Less than two weeks later, the area took a direct hit from Category 3 Hurricane Milton, which damaged several hangars.
After weeks of repairs, the taxiway lights were restored last week, less than 10 days after the runway lights became operational again. All told, more than 350 fixtures were impacted.
The airport has cleaned out its hangars and is continuing repairs on some of the doors. Inside the airport terminal, flooring and drywall were replaced.
Hillsborough County Aviation Authority’s (HCAA) two other general aviation airports, Tampa Executive (KVDF) and Plant City Airport (KPCM), escaped the storms relatively unscathed.
“Resuming operations at Peter O. Knight is a sign of the resiliency of the businesses and residents on Davis Islands,” explained Brett Fay, the HCAA’s v-p of general aviation. “Thanks to the hard work of the crews working at KTPF and the patience of our tenants and business partners, we’ve been able to deal with these historic challenges and get pilots back in the air.”