St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport

What St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport does

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a government-owned commercial service airport operated as an enterprise fund of Pinellas County, Florida. Originally established in 1941 as Pinellas Army Airfield during World War II and converted to civilian use in 1946, PIE sits on approximately 2,000 acres of designated Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ 193) land, providing regulatory advantages for commercial tenants. The airport generates revenue through a diversified mix of airline operations fees, parking ($24/day short-term), rental car concessions, ground transportation permits, and real estate/ground leases managed by the Airport Properties Manager.

PIE's core product is commercial passenger service, anchored by Allegiant Air as the dominant carrier with 60+ non-stop destinations, supplemented by Sun Country Airlines and, beginning December 2026, BermudAir's international service to Turks and Caicos, Belize, and Anguilla. Supporting infrastructure includes terminal operations with real-time flight tracking (FlightAware, FlightView), multiple parking options (Economy Lots, Short-term, Long-term, Cell Phone Lot), rental car services, retail and food/beverage concessions (Hudson Group, SSPAmerica's The District Pub, Mazzaro Italian Market, 3 Daughters Brewing), general aviation facilities managed by Signature Flight Support, and the Airport Business Center office leasing. The Grouper Airport Express, operated by PSTA, provides ground transportation to Clearwater Beach.

The airport operates as an entirely self-supporting enterprise fund with no property tax dollars used for operations, governed by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners under FAA commercial-service certification. The airport is currently in an active capital expansion phase including a Terminal Improvement Project (design resuming spring 2026 via C&S Companies with Manhattan Construction as CMAR), a new parking garage (Finfrock Enterprises design-build), and new Airco Taxiways (Hubbard Construction/AVCON). Marketing is conducted through the fly2pie.com website, email newsletters, Instagram, press releases, and regional tourism partnerships such as the Visit Florida/Wheel of Fortune promotion that drove viewership from 8M to 13–15M daily during Florida week.

Name

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport

Legal name

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport

Website

https://fly2pie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a Pinellas County-owned commercial service airport on ~2,000 acres in Florida, offering 60+ non-stop destinations primarily via Allegiant Air and soon BermudAir, with parking, concessions, FTZ real estate, and ground transportation as diversified revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Airport Operations Revenue: PIE operates as an enterprise fund that accounts for all revenues and expenditures including passenger and cargo airline operations, military, and general aviation, along with commercial and industrial airport property. The airport is entirely self-supporting with no property tax dollars used for operations.
2. Parking Fees: Short-term parking at $24 per day with Economy Lots available. Parking reaches capacity during peak travel periods, especially June and July.
3. Rental Car Concessions: Rental car concession services operating at the airport with multiple amendments to agreements. Non-tenant rental car permits also available (e.g., ACE Rent a Car).
4. Ground Transportation Permits: Operating permits for non-exclusive commercial ground transportation including services like The Grouper Airport Express serving Clearwater Beach.
5. Real Estate Leasing: Airport Business Center office space leasing and various ground lease agreements with tenants including Brookline PIE Ulmerton LLC, APG Electric, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a commercial service airport operating passenger airline services to 60+ non-stop destinations, primarily through Allegiant Air. The airport provides terminal facilities, parking, ground transportation coordination, retail and food & beverage concessions, general aviation services, and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ 193) operations on approximately 2,000 acres of land.

Product overview

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a commercial service airport operated by Pinellas County Government offering passenger air service, ground transportation, parking, and general aviation facilities. The airport serves as a hub for Allegiant Air and offers access to 60+ destinations with non-stop flights. The facility includes terminal operations, parking facilities (Economy Lots, Short-term, Long-term, Cell Phone Lot), rental car services, shopping and dining (The District Pub, Mazzaro Italian Market, 3 Daughters Brewing), and general aviation services. The airport operates on approximately 2,000 acres of designated Foreign Trade Zone land (FTZ 193).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Passenger Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Tampa website traffic spiked approximately 40% during Wheel of Fortune Florida promotion featuring St. Petersburg-Clearwater
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BermudAircoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026BermudAir announces major expansion with new international nonstop service from PIE to Turks and Caicos, Belize, and Anguilla starting December 2026. Twice-weekly service to Turks and Caicos (Mondays and Thursdays) from December 21 through May 3, 2027. Twice-weekly service to Belize (Wednesdays or Thursdays, and Sundays) from December 20 through May 2, 2027. Weekly direct service to Anguilla (Thursdays) from December 24 through May 2, 2027. BermudAir will offer the only nonstop service to these destinations from PIE.
• Grouper Airport ExpressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Grouper Airport Express now serves PIE to/from Clearwater Beach. Public transportation service operated by Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). Bookings available at psta.net/grouper.
• Visit FloridacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Florida partnered with Wheel of Fortune television game show for a week-long promotion in October showcasing Florida destinations including St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Campaign delivered measurably strong results with viewership climbing from 8 million to 13-15 million daily viewers during Florida week.
• Allegiant TravelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllegiant Travel is the primary airline operating at PIE with extensive route network to 60+ destinations. Allegiant has added new routes to Philadelphia, PA and Columbia, MO. Employment opportunities listed at allegiantair.jobs.
• Signature Flight SupportminorOthersSignature Flight Support provides general aviation services at PIE. Employment opportunities available at signatureaviation.com.
• Hudson GroupminorOthersHudson Group operates as the news and gifts concessionaire at PIE. Career opportunities available at hudsongroup.com/careers.
• SSPAmericaminorOthersSSPAmerica operates food and beverage concessions at PIE including The District Pub, Mazzaro Italian Market, and 3 Daughters Brewing. Career information at foodtravelexperts.com/america/careers/.
• Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation permit with PSTA for ground transportation services. The Grouper Airport Express service connects PIE to Clearwater Beach.
• C&S Engineers Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationC&S Engineers awarded contract for Passenger Terminal Improvements design and construction administration. Terminal improvement design work resuming in spring 2026.
• Manhattan ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManhattan Construction Company providing Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for Passenger Terminal Improvements at PIE.
• Honor Flight of West Central FloridaminorOthersPIE has supported Honor Flights since 2011, hosting Welcome Home celebrations for veterans returning from Washington D.C. memorial visits. PIE has hosted 55 missions to date with additional flights scheduled for June 9, September 15, and October 20, 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Daytona Beach International Airport: Daytona Beach International (DAB) is a smaller Florida commercial-service airport working to attract new airline service and investment. It is comparable to PIE in scale ambition and reliance on regional tourism demand.

Broad incumbents

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) is a major Florida commercial-service airport with a heavy ULCC and leisure mix. It is a broader incumbent competing for similar leisure passenger flows, particularly from the Northeast corridor.
• Orlando International Airport: Orlando International (MCO) is the largest airport in Florida by passenger volume and operates as a much broader incumbent in the same state. While far larger and more diversified, MCO competes with PIE for Florida-bound leisure travelers and airline capacity.

Direct peers

• Punta Gorda Airport: Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) is a Florida Gulf Coast commercial-service airport dominated by Allegiant Air, with a similar ULCC-focused, point-to-point leisure model. It is one of the closest operational comparables to PIE in carrier mix, route structure, and passenger demographics.
• Tampa International Airport: Tampa International Airport (TPA) is the dominant commercial airport in the same Tampa Bay metro as PIE. Both airports serve overlapping leisure and business demand for the St. Petersburg–Clearwater region and compete for airline route allocations, passengers, and concession revenue.
• Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport: Sarasota-Bradenton International (SRQ) is a nearby Florida Gulf Coast airport that has rapidly grown Allegiant and other leisure carrier service. It competes directly with PIE for Tampa Bay–area leisure travelers heading to Gulf Coast destinations.
• Southwest Florida International Airport: Southwest Florida International (RSW) is a mid-sized Florida commercial-service airport serving the Fort Myers–Lee County region. It shares PIE's profile of being a leisure-driven gateway with strong seasonal traffic patterns.

Regional players

• Palm Beach International Airport: Palm Beach International (PBI) is a Florida commercial-service airport with strong leisure and seasonal demand, comparable in size and airline diversity to PIE. It is a useful regional benchmark for unit economics and capacity planning.
• Jacksonville International Airport: Jacksonville International (JAX) is a Florida commercial-service airport serving a different geographic region but with a comparable mid-sized footprint, mix of legacy and leisure carriers, and similar per-passenger economics.

Others

• Allegiant Air: Allegiant Air is PIE's primary airline partner and the operator of the majority of its flights. While not a peer airport, Allegiant's route economics and aircraft allocation decisions directly determine PIE's traffic and revenue trajectory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iflypie
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fly2PIE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-pete-clearwater-international-airport

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport