St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport

St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Pinellas County
Serves Tampa Bay Area
Location Pinellas County
Focus city for Allegiant Air
Elevation AMSL 11 ft / 3 m
Coordinates 27°54′36″N 082°41′15″W / 27.91000°N 82.68750°W / 27.91000; -82.68750Coordinates: 27°54′36″N 082°41′15″W / 27.91000°N 82.68750°W / 27.91000; -82.68750
Website www.Fly2PIE.com
Map
PIE
Location of airport in Florida / United States
PIE
PIE (the US)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 9,730 2,966 Asphalt
4/22 5,903 1,799 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2017) 113,096
Based aircraft (2017) 259
Departing Passengers (12 months ending July 2017) 965,000
Cargo tonnage (12 months ending July 2017) 42,500
Sources: FAA,[1] Airport website[2]

St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE[3], ICAO: KPIE, FAA LID: PIE) is a public/military airport in Pinellas County, Florida serving the Tampa Bay Area.[1] It is nine miles north of downtown St. Petersburg,[1] seven miles southeast of Clearwater, and seventeen miles southwest of Tampa.

It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[4] In 2014 it showed double-digit growth and handled more than one million passengers, setting a record.[5]

Most scheduled airline traffic in the Tampa Bay Area uses Tampa International Airport (TPA), ten miles (16 km) east, but St. Pete–Clearwater remains a destination for low-cost carriers. St. Pete–Clearwater is a focus city for Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air. PIE is also less busy than Tampa, and is frequently used by pilots of private planes and executive jets.

The airport uses "Tampa Bay The Easy Way" as an advertising slogan and Fly2PIE in reference to its three-letter IATA and FAA codes.

History

The airport is on the west shoreline of Tampa Bay, six miles (10 km) north of St. Petersburg, Florida (the "birthplace of commercial air transportation"). Barely a decade after the pioneer flight of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk in 1903, the first tickets for airline travel were sold by the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line of Tony Jannus to fare-paying passengers. Using a Benoist XIV amphibious aircraft, the inaugural flight took place from a location near the downtown St. Petersburg Pier.[6] Mayor Abram C. Pheil of St. Petersburg and Mae Peabody of Dubuque, Iowa, were the first passengers, flying across the bay to Tampa and, according to a United Press account, reportedly reaching the maximum speed of 75 miles per hour during the flight. Other reports indicate that they reached an altitude of 50 feet (15 m).

This was the beginning of commercial air transportation anywhere in the world and is commemorated by a replica of the Benoist aircraft and a plaque at the airport terminal baggage claim area. Another replica is displayed at the St. Petersburg Museum of History adjacent to the Pier. Since 1991, the terminal holds the archives of the Florida Aviation Historical Society.[7]

Construction and wartime

Construction of the airport at its present site started in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the airport was acquired by the United States Army Air Forces, which used it as a military flight training base assigned to Third Air Force.

The 304th Fighter Squadron, a combat training unit of the 337th Fighter Group based P-40 Warhawks and, later, P-51 Mustangs at Pinellas Army Airfield (as it was then known) for the duration of World War II. Antisubmarine patrols against German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico were also flown from the airfield.

To commemorate the airport's vital role during that conflict, a plaque was dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 Fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, who was the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II and later served as the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield. A permanent exhibit honoring General Howard is located in the terminal.

Postwar operation

FAA diagram

After World War II the property was returned to Pinellas County by the U.S. government to operate as a civil airport. It was originally called Pinellas International Airport and given the IATA designation, PIE, which it still uses, because PIA was already taken by Peoria International Airport.[8] It was later changed to St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport because, according to airport manager "Bobo" Hayes, tourists didn't know where Pinellas county was.[7]

Airline service: 1950s to the mid 2000s

During the 1950s several airlines served both PIE and Tampa International Airport (TPA) at the same time including Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines and Northwest Airlines. The April 1957 Official Airline Guide (OAG) lists 17 airline departures: ten by Eastern, six by National and one by Mackey Airlines. Four of those flights were operated nonstop beyond Florida, including an Eastern Douglas DC-4 to Chicago and a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation to Pittsburgh. In 1956, Mackey Airlines was operating daily direct Douglas DC-4 service to Nassau, Bahamas via intermediate stops in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.[9] In 1959, National Airlines was operating a daily Douglas DC-7B flight direct from PIE to New York City Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport) and on to Boston via an intermediate stop in Jacksonville that featured "Five Star Service" in first class as well as "Sunlight Club Coach" service.[10] In 1960, Delta was operating "Flying Scot" Douglas DC-6 "Day Coach" service from the airport with a daily flight routing of St. Petersburg - Atlanta - Knoxville - Cincinnati - Chicago Midway Airport.[11]

With the advent of the jet age, runway 17/35 was extended north into Tampa Bay; the first scheduled jet service was flown by Northwest Airlines with a Boeing 720B from Chicago in late 1961 (the 1961 Aviation Week directory states PIE's longest runways were 5,700 feet; however, it appears 17/35 was 8,000 feet when the 720B arrived). The increased capacities of Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 jetliners, compared to Douglas DC-4, DC-6, DC-7 and Lockheed Constellation propliners, prompted the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to approve consolidation of airline service for the Tampa Bay area at TPA during the early 1960s.

In 1963, Northwest was flying Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft into the airport with its service including a daily Electra flight operating a routing of Miami - Fort Lauderdale - St. Petersburg - Atlanta - Chicago O'Hare Airport - Minneapolis/St. Paul - Fargo, ND - Grand Forks, ND - Winnipeg, Canada.[12] Eastern was the last scheduled airline serving PIE during the mid 1960s and it ceased all flights from the airport in 1964. The year before, Eastern had been operating flights with propeller aircraft from St. Petersburg nonstop to Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare Airport, Cleveland and Louisville as well as one stop direct service to Columbus, OH, Detroit and Indianapolis.[13]

Scheduled air service returned to PIE in 1972 when Air Florida initiated flights operating as an intrastate airline to Miami and Orlando with Boeing 707 jetliners.[14] Air Florida then replaced its 707 jets with Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprops out of PIE and in 1974 was operating nonstop flights to Miami, Orlando and Tallahassee.[15] According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), only one airline was serving St. Petersburg in the fall of 1979: regional air carrier Red Carpet Airlines operating Convair 440 prop aircraft service five days a week nonstop from Miami and two days a week nonstop from Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.[16] In 1982, Northeastern International Airways was operating Douglas DC-8 jet nonstops to Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, New York. By 1983 Northeastern was flying Boeing 727-100 jet nonstops to Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans in addition to its nonstop service to Islip.[17] Also in 1983 People Express was flying nonstop to New York/Newark Liberty International Airport with Boeing 727-200, 737-100 and 737-200 jets. Locally based regional air carrier Atlantic Gulf Airlines was operating Vickers Viscount turboprop flights nonstop to Miami in 1983 and by 1984 was operating Convair 580 turboprop service to Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tallahassee.[18][19] Also by 1984 Northeastern had added nonstop West Palm Beach jet flights as well as direct, no change of plane jet service to Hartford/Springfield, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, San Diego and Tulsa.[20] People Express also expanded its flights from the airport and in 1985 was operating nonstops to Charlotte in addition to New York/Newark as well as flying direct, no change of plane jet service to Boston, Detroit and Syracuse.[21] Also in 1985 Florida Express was operating British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jets into PIE with four daily nonstop flights to its Orlando hub with direct, one stop service also being operated to Columbus, OH, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis and Nashville via Orlando.[22] In 1987 American Airlines started nonstops to its Raleigh-Durham hub, but by October 1989 PIE once again did not have scheduled airline service.

American Trans Air (ATA) and Air South then began jet flights from PIE during the mid 1990s. In early 1994, American Trans Air was operating daily nonstop Boeing 757-200 service from Chicago Midway Airport, daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service from Indianapolis, daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service from Milwaukee and weekly nonstop Lockheed L-1011 TriStar wide body service from Philadelphia.[23] By late 1994, American Trans Air had expanded its service and was operating domestic nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale and St. Louis as well as international nonstop flights to Nassau, Bahamas in addition to its flights to Chicago Midway, Indianapolis and Milwaukee.[24][25] ATA was primarily operating Boeing 727-200 jets on these services in late 1994 but was also operating larger Boeing 757-200 jetliners on some nonstop flights between the airport and Chicago Midway at this time as well.[25] In the summer of 1995, Air South was flying nonstop Boeing 737-200 jet service to Atlanta, Columbia, SC, Miami and Tallahassee.[26] The Air South service to Miami in 1995 included up to five 737 nonstops on weekdays while at the same time commuter air carrier Gulfstream International Airlines was operating twice daily nonstop flights to Miami with small Beechcraft 1900C turboprops.[27] In 1997, Reno Air was operating "Gulf Coast Flyer" service nonstop to Gulfport/Biloxi with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners.[28] By 1999, the OAG listed four airlines operating either domestic or international jet service into St. Petersburg: American Trans Air flying Boeing 727-200 nonstops from Chicago Midway Airport and Indianapolis, Canada 3000 flying Airbus A320 nonstops from Toronto, Nations Air flying Boeing 737-200 nonstops from Gulfport/Biloxi and Royal Aviation flying Boeing 757-200 nonstops from Toronto.[29] American Trans Air ended operations at PIE in 2004 due to downsizing prior to declaring bankruptcy while Air South ceased serving the airport in 1996 and subsequently went out of business. Following cessation of service by ATA, the airport was once again left without scheduled passenger flights.

Recent air service developments

In September 2006 Allegiant Air announced scheduled service from St. Petersburg–Clearwater to cities in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Allegiant's destination count from PIE has since increased to 59 airports in the eastern United States. In February, the Lansing, Michigan service shifted to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with four weekly flights.

The airport recently completed a US$22 million renovation, including, among other things, larger gates, new plumbing, and building jetway loading bridges as previous boarding and deplaning required all passengers to walk across the tarmac to their gates.[30]

In January 2015 Silver Airways announced it was beginning service to PIE, but in March the company had cancelled its plans.[31]

Facilities

Runway 27 (March 1988)
Runway 17L and taxiway/runway 17R (1988)

The airport covers 1900 acres (769 ha) at an elevation of 11 feet (3 m). It has two asphalt runways: 18/36 is 9,730 by 150 feet (2,966 x 46 m) with an ILS approach, and 4/22 is 5,903 by 150 feet (1,799 x 46 m).[1]

The airport is also the home of Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, the largest and busiest U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in the United States, operating HC-130 Hercules and MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft. The U.S. Army Reserve also maintains an Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) at PIE immediately west of the approach end of Runway 17R for Companies A and F, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment and Medical Evacuation Unit, operating UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-operated control tower, the FAA's Central Florida Region Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) (which is the busiest AFSS in the United States) and the St. Petersburg VORTAC for airways navigation are also important federal government services at the airport.

Along with scheduled passenger and charter airlines as well as military flight operations, United Parcel Service (UPS Airlines) along with other air cargo operators and general/corporate aviation utilize the airport with UPS conducting extensive Boeing 757-200 freighter operations. The entire tract of the airport is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and a large Airport Industrial Park developed in the 1980s is a major center of commerce. The airport and its tenants employ over 3,000 people and have an economic benefit of more than $400 million yearly to the Tampa Bay area.

The airport has a 24-hour airport rescue and fire-fighting (ARFF) department (Index C), along with operations, facilities, engineering, security, and administrative personnel.

For the year ending June 30, 2017, the airport had 113,096 aircraft operations, an average of 310 operations per day; with 71% general aviation, 13% military, 12% commercial and 3% air taxi. In November 2017, there were 259 aircraft based at this airport: 98 single-engine, 29 multi-engine, 56 jet, 39 helicopter, 36 military and 1 ultralight.[1]

Airlines and destinations

Baggage-claim area, with replica of Benoist XIV flying boat flown by aviation pioneer Tony Jannus in 1914 (2009 photo)
PIE's baggage-claim area has four baggage carousels (2009 photo)

St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport has one terminal and thirteen gates: 1–12 and 14.

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Albany (NY) (begins December 12, 2018), Allentown, Appleton, Asheville, Austin, Bangor, Belleville/St. Louis, Bloomington/Normal, Cedar Rapids, Chattanooga, Chicago/Rockford, Cincinnati, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Charlotte/Concord, Cleveland, Dayton, Des Moines, Elmira, Flint, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Harrisburg, Huntington (WV), Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lexington, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee,[32] Nashville,[33] New Orleans, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Norfolk, Ogdensburg (NY),[34] Omaha, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Plattsburgh, Providence,[35] Raleigh/Durham, Roanoke, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield/Branson, Syracuse, Toledo
Seasonal: Fargo, Hagerstown (MD), Moline/Quad Cities, Phoenix/Mesa,[32] Portsmouth (NH), Richmond, Tri-Cities (TN), Tulsa
Flair Airlines Seasonal: Winnipeg (begins December 17, 2018) [36]
Sun Country Airlines Charter: Gulfport/Biloxi
Sunwing Airlines Seasonal: Halifax, Toronto–Pearson

Statistics

Airline market share

Carrier shares for (Dec 2016 – Nov 2017)[37]
Carrier   Passengers (arriving and departing)
Allegiant
1,985,000(100%)

Top domestic destinations

Top domestic destinations (February 2017 – January 2018)[37]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Cincinnati, Ohio 51,660 Allegiant
2 Indianapolis, Indiana 38,490 Allegiant
3 Grand Rapids, Michigan 34,230 Allegiant
4 Knoxville, Tennessee 31,990 Allegiant
5 Asheville, North Carolina 30,270 Allegiant
6 Charlotte–Concord, North Carolina 26,020 Allegiant
7 Columbus–Rickenbacker, Ohio 24,720 Allegiant
8 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 24,590 Allegiant
9 Lexington, Kentucky 23,210 Allegiant
10 Huntington, West Virginia 22,860 Allegiant

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at St Pete-Clearwater Airport, 1992 thru 2016[38]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
2010776,0872000734,940
2009776,5351999791,973
2008742,3801998911,195
20172,055,2692007747,3691997883,086
20161,837,0352006389,99719961,045,928
20151,645,4022005596,51019951,086,051
20141,247,98720041,333,0691994721,977
20131,017,0492003997,7611993561,322
2012865,9422002623,9591992397,940
2011833,0682001637,310

Accidents and incidents

On June 6, 1982, a Douglas C-47A (N95C), of Fromhagen Aviation, was written off after the starboard engine failed during the takeoff for a training flight. All five people aboard survived.[39]

On September 30, 2015, the pilot of a Piper PA-30, registered to Jet Aircraft Management, crashed and died while practicing takeoffs and landings.[40][41]

On June 1, 2016, Allegiant Air Flight 871 made an emergency landing at the airport, its scheduled destination. The plane departed from Moline, Illinois. No injuries were reported, and the airline declined to comment on the mechanical failure.[42]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 FAA Airport Master Record for PIE (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. effective November 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Fact Sheet 2012" (PDF). St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  3. ↑ "IATA Airport code Search (PIE: St.Pete/Clearwater)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "St. Pete Clearwater airport set passenger record in 2014". www.bizjournals.com. January 1, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Tony Jannus —An Enduring Legacy of Aviation". Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society. Archived from the original on February 4, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
  7. 1 2 McCarthy, Kevin M. (2003), Aviation in Florida, Illustrated by William Trotter (illustrated ed.), Pineapple Press Inc, pp. 159–164, ISBN 9781561642816
  8. ↑ Anderson, Anne W. (2010), Insiders' Guide to the Greater Tampa Bay Area: Including Tampa, St. Petersburg, & Clearwater, Insiders' Guide Series, Globe Pequot, p. 16, ISBN 9780762753475
  9. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 5, 1956 Mackey Airlines timetable
  10. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, April 26, 1959 National Airlines system timetable
  11. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 30, 1960 Delta Air Lines system timetable
  12. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, March 1, 1963 Northwest Airlines system timetable
  13. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, July 1, 1963 Eastern Air Lines timetable
  14. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Sept. 27, 1972 Air Florida timetable
  15. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, April 14, 1974 Air Florida route map
  16. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide, Saint Petersburg flight schedules
  17. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide, Fort Lauderdale & New Orleans flight schedules
  18. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, early 1984 Atlantic Gulf Airlines route map & timetable
  19. ↑ "Atlantic Gulf Airlines". Sunshine Skies.
  20. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, May 1, 1984 Northeastern International Airlines system timetable
  21. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, June 26, 1985 People Express system timetable
  22. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1985 Florida Express timetable
  23. ↑ Feb. 1, 1994 OAG Pocket Flight Guide, St. Petersburg Intl. flight schedules
  24. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 17, 1994 American Trans Air/ATA system timetable
  25. 1 2 Oct. 30, 1994 OAG North American Pocket Flight Guide
  26. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, June 17, 1995 Air South route map
  27. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide, Miami flight schedules
  28. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, May 22, 1997 Reno Air route map
  29. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide, Saint Petersburg flight schedules
  30. ↑ 'Other' airport gets facelift, St. Petersburg Times, June 26, 2007.
  31. ↑ "Silver Airways aborts flights to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport" (Archive). Tampa Bay Times. Thursday 31 March 2015. Retrieved on April 3, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Allegiant : 28 new routes, 3 new cities part of its biggest expansion ever".
  33. ↑ "Allegiant to begin flights between Nashville and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport". April 3, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Press Release - Investor Relations - Allegiant Air". ir.allegiantair.com.
  35. ↑ "Allegiant Air's newest destination: Providence".
  36. ↑ https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/Canada-s-Flair-Airlines-to-offer-new-nonstop-service-between-Winnipeg-and-St-Pete-Clearwater-International-Airport_171054579
  37. 1 2 "St. Petersburg, FL: St. Petersburg-Clearwater International (PIE)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), U.S. Department of Transportation. November 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Passenger Statistics & Reports - St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport". www.fly2pie.com.
  39. ↑ "N95C Accident report". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  40. ↑ "Pilot killed in small plane crash at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport". Bay News 9. September 30, 2015. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  41. ↑ "Pilot dies in plane crash at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport". 10NEWS. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  42. ↑ Staff (June 1, 2016). "Allegiant flight declares emergency at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2016-12-28.

Sources

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