Thrive
St. Pete-Clearwater airport will ‘run out of parking’
“We don’t want anyone to miss their flight.”
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) officials are warning local holiday travelers not to park at the increasingly popular facility or risk missing their flights.
The airport, which offers 60 more flights than last Thanksgiving, is experiencing some growing pains. PIE served 2.37 million passengers through October and will likely break its previous year-long record – 2.49 million, set in 2023 – with a month to spare.
St. Pete-Clearwater International expects over 33,000 departing passengers between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1. Interim Airport Director Mark Sprague wants to ensure they all “have an easy experience flying out of PIE.”
“We ask passengers to get a ride to the airport,” Sprague told the Catalyst. “All our parking lots will fill up, and we don’t want anyone to miss their flight.”
PIE’s passenger count increased by 197% between 2014 and 2024. The airport saw a 66% year-over-year increase in October.
About 3,200 short-term, long-term, overflow and economy parking spaces must accommodate the influx of holiday travelers. PIE served 170,619 passengers last November, and Sprague noted that “we are up 15% year-to-date over 2024.”
The airport lacks a parking reservation system. Officials will direct flyers to one of PIE’s economy lots, which feature a complimentary shuttle service to the terminal, once the long-term parking area closes.
Michele Routh, public relations director, noted that the airport has “broken every single monthly record since February” and continues adding new destinations.
“We are going to run out of parking,” Routh succinctly said. “And we just don’t want people to miss flights on these crunch weeks – Thanksgiving week, Christmas week.
“If we lose money on parking those weeks, great. Because that means no one missed a flight.”
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s (PSTA) Grouper Service could help ease the burden. The nascent, affordable shuttle provides rides between the St. Pete Clearwater Airport (PIE) and any location on Clearwater Beach. Riders can bring their luggage, and the driver will help with baggage.
PIE unveiled plans for a $45 million parking garage, its first, in June. Routh said the 2,000-space structure and a new surface parking lot with 350 additional spaces should help “tie us over for a while.”
However, each space will cost at least $30,000 to build, and Routh said the airport will “never make money on it.” Officials would have to charge about $50 daily – current maximum costs range from $10 to $24 – “to break even.”
For now, Sprague said flyers who “absolutely must park at PIE” should visit its website, “get familiar with our parking lots and give yourself extra time for directions.”
Here are the airport’s traveling tips:
- Please consider getting a ride to the airport! All parking lots will fill up, and we don’t want you to miss your flight.
- Picking up passengers? Use our free cell phone lot to await your party until they are curbside with their luggage. Active loading and unloading is only at the curbside in front of the terminal, and you must remain with your vehicle at all times. No curbside waiting is allowed.
- The cell phone lot is for meeters and greeters only. Drivers must remain with their vehicle. Unattended vehicles will be towed.
- Plan to arrive 2 hours before your scheduled flight departure time and check your departure gate. PIE has two separate gate areas, 2-6 and 7-11, that are not connected, so make sure you are at your correct gate 50 minutes before departure and ready to board. Please check with your airline for carry-on luggage requirements and sizes. Allegiantair.com or suncountry.com
- Monitor and check with your airline for updated flight information.
- Request wheelchair assistance directly from your airline. Wheelchair assistance is provided from check-in to boarding aircraft and from aircraft to baggage claim.
For additional tips from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), visit the website here.
