St. Pete Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a travel gem in the region. Even if you don’t have any travel plans, the location itself is pretty stunning — and a fun place to do some plane spotting.

Why is PIE such a gem? Because it offers non-stop service to 59 premiere domestic and international destinations, like Niagra Falls, Austin, Nashville, Toronto and Halifax.

The allure of these destinations, with newly announced non-stop service to Winnipeg, has driven passenger traffic to an all-time high. PIE officials released a report that shows the airport enjoyed its busiest October on record this year with 182,378 passengers total.

New international service begins in December

The non-stop Winnipeg service begins December 15 aboard Flair Airlines.

PIE is currently in its Master Plan process, which will bring new concessions and amenities to the airport. Officials also hope to evaluate ways in which the airport can lessen its environmental impact.

They’ve held several public input sessions, but welcome additional feedback on PIE’s Master Plan website.

Renovations open up space for new amenities 

Renovations on Gates 7-11 are near complete — and it opens up about 12,000 square feet of space in the airport.

If you’ve traveled through PIE before, are there any improvements you’d like to see made? Let us know in the comments.