2 min read May 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Thomas Jewsbury, director of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, talked about various topics related to the airport’s operations and its role in the transportation system of Tampa Bay. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is among the lowest cost per plane passenger for airlines and attracts people by keeping fees low. Jewsbury explained that demand for more destinations out west, in particular Las Vegas, is high and that the airport is working to enhance the customer experience. The aviation industry provides over $3 billion in economic impact to the Tampa Bay region.
How do you expect the airport to navigate the current economic landscape?
It is through our Capital Improvement program. We plan five years in advance for that, which is necessary as we see inflation in materials and resources needed for infrastructure improvements and the expansion we have planned. We also have to balance all that while being responsible enough to predict inflation costs.
What is the role of the airport within the greater transportation system in Tampa Bay?
There’s so many forms of transportation and being able to grow that and keep up with the expansion in the region is important. All of our flights are nonstop so it’s convenient for travelers. We have ultra-low cost carriers, so we’re able to compliment what our area has to offer. We are transporting around 2.5 million passengers which is the population of cities like Dayton, Ohio and Rochester, New York.
How do you keep prices down for passengers?
We are amongst the lowest cost per plane passenger for the airline. It basically costs the airline $2 per passenger in the way of fees and that is a record low. We do that to attract airlines and in turn help keep their airfares low. Allegiant is our dominant carrier here. They serve 130 cities across the nation, and we are their second largest regarding passengers. It’s important that we keep our costs low to attract and add additional service. We make up operating revenue through concessions, parking, rental cars and food and beverage.
What is the vision for the Gateway Express project?
That is a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project that we have been working on for the past five years and have actually relocated the entrance into the airport and reconfigured parking to accommodate it. It has been painful at times but they should be finishing by the end of the year.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is currently included in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. America By Air exhibit. PIE’s tremendous growth and plans for expansion generated interest in profiling the airport in the “What’s New” section of the exhibition, which features the latest news in aviation.
What are some of the biggest demands you are seeing from customers?
There is a demand for more destinations out to the West Coast. We are also fortunate that we will be seeing increased international travel with a new airbus coming out of Mexico.
What changes have been made to your marketing strategy?
Some of the big increases we have seen in terms of concession opportunities have been made to continue enhancing the customer experience. As we grow, we want to make sure we remain easy to get in and out and are not daunting to leisure travelers. It is easy to get around and is comfortable from the infrastructure to the actual employees.
What has been the overall economic impact of the aviation industry on the local economy?
The Florida Department of Transportation recently did an economic impact study and nationally we provide over $3 billion in economic impact to the Tampa Bay community.
What is your outlook and top priorities going forward?
The outlook is positive and we expect to see continued growth. One of the biggest questions I get is if we are getting more airlines and that is always going to be a priority. The terminal expansion is estimated to cost $110 million but as it stands now, we will be able to pay that entirely through grants. We are expanding the airport and trying to do that without getting any debt.
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