St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)'s $145 million modernization will replace underground sewer pipes, put a new roof on the 85-year-old terminal and swap out both existing jet bridges, airport spokesperson Michele Routh told WFLA on Wednesday.
"We really need to do a full modernization. Some of it is things like a new sanitary sewer line, a new roof, the two jet bridges that we currently have; we need to replace those," Routh said.
The work goes well beyond those basics. According to details the Clearwater Sentinel reported Tuesday, the 13-component plan also adds four new jet bridges, a second-level baggage claim, restroom upgrades, a fire-control-panel replacement, new signage and columns, a south-side terminal wall and renovations to rental-car counters and ticketing space. Roughly 40,000 square feet of strategic expansion is included.
Those extra jet bridges tackle a bottleneck that Airport Director Mark Sprague described at Wednesday's Pinellas County Commission work session. A single tarmac door currently serves three aircraft at once, stretching turnaround times to as long as two hours per plane, Tampa Bay Beacons reported. The industry standard for ultra-low-cost carriers is about 40 minutes, Sprague said at the session.
For travelers who use PIE, the timeline means patience. Routh said design alone will take about 18 months, with construction not expected to start until 2028 and completion projected for 2032.
Grants, reserves and fees cover the cost, no new taxes
The airport will pay for the project through a combination of FAA grants, Florida Department of Transportation dollars, passenger facility charges and airport reserves. PIE remains debt-free. The county's share does rise by more than $8 million compared with the original plan, drawn from existing reserves rather than new taxes.
Passenger growth stalls after a record 2025
The modernization comes as PIE's passenger numbers have plateaued after a record 2025. The airport served 2,794,067 travelers last year, a 14% jump over 2024, according to PIE's annual passenger report. But June 2026 traffic held flat year-over-year at 299,308 passengers, per the airport's monthly report, suggesting the terminal has hit its capacity ceiling.
BermudAir plans to begin service to Belize, Turks and Caicos, and Anguilla in December, adding international routes beyond Allegiant Air's dominant domestic network. Commissioner Kathleen Peters said at Wednesday's work session that she is frustrated the airport still relies heavily on one carrier after eight years.
Commissioners vote Sept. 10 on contracts and a new Allegiant deal
The Pinellas County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on the modernization contracts Sept. 10. That vote will also cover a new five-year Allegiant Air operating agreement projected to generate an additional $1.2 million in revenue in 2027. Separately, PIE plans to break ground in January 2027 on a $60 million, four-story parking garage that will add 2,000 spots.
