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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport reports near‑record year, December rebound narrows annual passenger shortfall
Summary
St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE) told the TDC it finished 2024 down about 1% in passengers but saw a 15% December surge that limited the annual decline; revenues rose and Allegiant expanded routes and will introduce new 737 MAX aircraft.
St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport reported to the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council on a stronger-than-expected December and overall revenue gains for fiscal 2024 despite hurricane impacts earlier in the year.
Airport representative Jeff said the year finished about 1% below 2023 passenger levels but that December alone rose about 15%, helping limit the annual shortfall. "We ended the year down 1%, but it could have been much worse had those December numbers not come in at the levels that they did," Jeff said.
The airport highlighted network and revenue details that matter to local tourism. PIE recorded about 2,494,952 passengers in 2023 and saw multiple record months in 2024, added four new Allegiant nonstop destinations (Bismarck, N.D.; Evansville, Ind.; McAllen, Texas; Savannah, Ga.) and has announced Colorado Springs service starting Feb. 14, 2025. Jeff said Allegiant had kept capacity into the market during recovery and was a “fantastic partner.”
Concessions and ground-transportation revenues grew strongly: paid parking rose nearly 20%, food and beverage about 10%, news and gifts 2.5%, and ground transportation 42%. Overall airport operating revenues were reported as up about 9.5% fiscal 2024 versus 2023. Rental-car revenue dipped about 0.1%, which Jeff attributed to travelers choosing alternatives such as ride-hail services.
Board members asked about parking capacity and terminal gates. Jeff said design for a parking garage is underway and terminal expansion planning is active to add gates once design is completed; no construction start date was given. In response to a question about long-term parking overflow during peak months, Jeff said there are ongoing plans to build a garage and expand gates because the terminal was approaching its original design capacity around a 2.5 million-passenger horizon.
Jeff also described fleet and product changes at Allegiant: the carrier has 50 firm orders (with 50 options) for a newer 737 MAX product; PIE will base at least two of those aircraft in February with a third arriving in March, which he said should add capacity and reflect Allegiant’s growth plans.
Questions from TDC members covered route performance (Orlando Sanford remains a top Allegiant destination), the status of Punta Gorda’s Allegiant resort market, and whether airport partners were coordinating marketing to support weaker markets. Jeff said PIE, Visit St. Pete Clearwater and Allegiant coordinate quarterly on market support and advertising targets.
The airport presentation closed with an offer of small promotional items and an invitation to upcoming PIE marketing events; Jeff said the airport will continue to watch hurricane and other operational risks that could affect service levels.
Ending: The airport staff left committee members with plans for near‑term design work on parking and terminal expansion and an expectation that Allegiant’s fleet changes and route launches will support continued growth in 2025.
