SEATING AUTHOR Walker Jaroch Switching Seats: COVID-19'S IMPACT ON THE TERMINAL COVID-19 has changed the world with airports feeling the brunt of the impact. To draw passengers back and meet health protocols, airports are making changes to their seating and terminal layouts. THE COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and it's not done yet. As guidelines change and the concerns of passengers wax and wane, airports are doing their best to keep up with the shifting landscape. Everything from the way passengers sit and stand in the terminal, to how they interact with gate agents and security is different than when it was at the beginning of the year - and will keep on changing. At Tampa International Airport ( T PA), E m i l y Nipp s , sen ior communications manager, explained how from the outset of the pandemic, the airport's CEO Joe Lopano was part of the Florida governor's task force to reopen the state. Lopano was able to hear firsthand the best practices to incorporate. "He basically brought some of that back to our airport. We went ahead, A TPA employee uses an electrostatic sprayer to disinfect the airport's seating. TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 12 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2020