Passenger activity is soaring at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), which welcomed nearly 2.5 million travelers last year and is preparing to handle even more.

“Because we are a strong tourism destination and have many direct flights with Allegiant Air [the leading airline at PIE], we are very fortunate to see such a recovery post-pandemic,” said Airport Director Tom Jewsbury during a Tuesday, January 23rd airport event celebrating the historic passenger record. 

The airport, located northwest of Interstate I-275, has non-stop routes to over 65 cities, which is primarily offered through Allegiant Air.

“We are now reaching a point to start on a significant expansion of the terminal and to provide future connections with Allegiant and other airlines,” added Jewsbury.

This spring, PIE will start the design work on a $110 million terminal expansion to consolidate the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) checkpoints and build a new level for passenger boarding. There would also be additional gates, creating opportunities to accommodate more airlines and food and beverage vendors.

Today, local businesses such as Mazzaro’s Italian Market and 3 Daughters Brewing lease space in the airport.