CLEARWATER, Fla. — Allegiant Airlines operating out of the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) will add three new non-stop routes over the next couple of weeks, which will contribute to its record-breaking growth.

What You Need To Know

Three new Allegiant routes added: Atlantic City and Trenton, N.J., along with Huntsville, Ala.

PIE is the second-most affordable airport in the nation, according to Kayak

The average round-trip fare costs $161

New $60M parking garage with 2,000 spaces is expected to open in late 2027

“Allegiant is our primary carrier, and so they are excited about their continued growth,” said Michele Routh, PIE spokesperson. “We have so many different destinations that we fly to nonstop, and they’re all low cost.”

The new service to Atlantic City, N.J., began last Friday. Service to Trenton, N.J., begins on Feb. 20 and Huntsville, Ala., on March 5, which brings the total non-stop destinations from PIE to 63.

The top two most popular routes from PIE are to Knoxville, Tenn., and Asheville, N.C., according to a presentation Interim Airport Director Mark Sprague gave to the Tourist Development Council last month. The ranking is thanks to travelers like Audrey Howell, who said she makes about a dozen trips from Asheville to Clearwater every year to see her best friend.

“It’s convenient, it’s economical,” she said. “If you know what I mean. Read: cheap.”

According to Kayak, PIE is the second-most affordable airport in the nation. The average round-trip fare costs $161. Those cheap non-stop flights on Allegiant are one reason the airport has been seeing some big time growth over the years.

The airport has experienced record-breaking growth over three of the past four years, with nearly 2.8 million passengers in 2025. Only 2024 was slightly down because of hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to Routh.

“We were just ascending, ascending, ascending. I mean, from 2014 to 2024, almost 200 percent increase in passengers,” she said. “COVID was the one little blip year where we didn’t break a record and then record-breaking again.” 

The busiest month at the airport is July followed by June and March, according to Routh. Another reason passengers enjoy flying from PIE is because it’s easier to navigate than larger airports.

“Love this airport simply because it’s smaller,” said Scott Cooper, Delray Beach resident. “Don’t have to wait on as many lines. Much easier to get in and out of.”

Last year, the airport’s parking lots were completely full during some holidays. To ensure it stays easy, Pinellas County will spend $60 million to build a new four-story parking garage with 2,000 spaces. The parking garage will be constructed on the Strawberry economy lot just west of the terminal and is expected to open in late 2027.

“Prioritizing the parking garage, very important to us,” said Routh. “Designing it this year, building it next year. So we’ll be ready in a couple of years to be able to grow even further.” 

Allegiant plans to continue growing by acquiring Sun County Airlines. The sale is expected to be closed this summer. Sun Country currently flies a seasonal route to Minneapolis, Minnesota from PIE, with year-round service from Tampa International Airport.

Sprague said once the sale is finalized, he foresees Sun Country leaving TPA and flying full-time out of PIE.

The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is in the early stages of planning for a new terminal with a $110 million budget, according to Routh. PIE’s first terminal was built in 1956.