Two decades after it first landed at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Allegiant Air now operates 98% of the airport’s commercial flights, a share built by a private carrier betting on a small Pinellas County airfield.

Allegiant began service at PIE in 2006 with 12 destinations. That year, the airport served about 390,000 passengers. Last year, the number reached 2.8 million. Today, roughly 180 flights arrive and depart each week.

Airport officials credit the airline for the turnaround. “Allegiant is the fourth largest airline in Tampa Bay, so they are a great partner for us now and in the future,” said Michele Routh of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. “Our success is their success. It goes hand in hand.”

The airline’s reach goes beyond PIE. Dr. Blaise Waguespack of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said low-cost carriers such as Allegiant, Frontier, Breeze, and Avelos hold down fares across the region. Without them, he said, “prices would rise, no doubt.”

Waguespack credited Allegiant’s discipline for its staying power. “Allegiant has always been very conscious of flying airplanes that make money and not just flying an airplane just to keep a route alive,” he said.

That discipline carries a trade-off. Waguespack acknowledged that an airport depending so heavily on a single airline faces risk. He said Allegiant’s strong balance sheet and focus on profitable routes help reduce that concern.

The growth is also driving construction at PIE. The airport plans to break ground in January on a 1,700-space parking garage. It is also starting a $145 million renovation and expansion project to handle rising passenger demand. Bermuda Air is expected to begin service at the airport in December.

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