en.Wedoany.com Reported - BermudAir has confirmed three new winter routes from St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE), connecting PIE with Turks and Caicos, Belize, and Anguilla, with services launching in late December. This marks the first resumption of scheduled international passenger service at PIE in nearly three years, filling a gap that had persisted in the airport's international route network.
PIE is a key secondary gateway in the Tampa Bay area, located near the site of the world's first commercial airline flight. According to Air & Space, on January 1, 1914, the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line sold the first ticket to a paying passenger, and a replica of the Benoist amphibious aircraft used for that flight is now displayed in the terminal's baggage claim area. The airport's compact single-terminal layout attracts ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air, which uses it as one of its key Florida leisure bases, with annual passenger throughput approaching 3 million. However, PIE's rapid growth has been driven primarily by domestic leisure traffic, and international passenger service has been absent since Swoop's Canadian flights exited the market.
According to historical data, PIE recorded total passenger throughput of 1,384,474 in 2020, including 1,379,638 domestic and 4,836 international passengers; 2,010,128 total in 2021, with 2,007,319 domestic and 2,809 international; 2,440,905 total in 2022, with 2,415,199 domestic and 25,706 international; 2,477,837 total in 2023, with 2,461,815 domestic and 16,022 international; 2,427,552 total in 2024, with no international passenger data recorded; and 2,760,817 total in 2025, also with no international passenger data recorded. Over the years, PIE has hosted flights from several Canadian leisure airlines, including Air Transat, CanJet, Sunwing, and most recently Swoop. Swoop operated services from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Hamilton International Airport (YHM) until those routes were discontinued following its merger with WestJet. Since Swoop's exit, PIE has had no scheduled international passenger service.
BermudAir will operate the following routes: from December 21, 2026, to May 3, 2027, twice weekly (Mondays and Thursdays) nonstop to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and Caicos; from December 20, 2026, to May 2, 2027, twice weekly (Wednesdays or Thursdays, and Sundays) nonstop to Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize; and from December 24, 2026, to May 2, 2027, once weekly (Thursdays) via Providenciales to Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) in Anguilla. Mark Sprague, Director of St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, stated that the new international nonstop services extend passengers' reach to the Caribbean and Central America, offering convenient vacation experiences. BermudAir is not entering a market already saturated with nonstop flights; PIE currently has no international services, and nearby Tampa International Airport (TPA) does not offer nonstop flights to these destinations, making these routes a net addition to the Tampa Bay area rather than a simple secondary airport alternative to existing services.
Founded in 2023, BermudAir is a boutique airline focused on Bermuda, operating Embraer E190 aircraft (96 seats). This winter expansion includes 14 new routes from the United States, with the PIE services forming part of a strategy to serve low-frequency leisure routes that larger airlines find difficult to cover, while testing seasonal winter demand. The Tampa Bay area, with a current population of approximately 3.5 million, is one of the five fastest-growing regions in the United States, offering potential for developing nonstop routes to the Caribbean and Central America. Currently, Tampa Bay residents traveling to these destinations typically need to transit through Miami International Airport (MIA) or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and BermudAir's new routes fill this gap.
PIE's compact terminal, short walking distances, and leisure orientation align with the type of vacation travelers BermudAir targets. The new routes will ultimately test whether PIE can become a credible international origin point for the Tampa Bay area, rather than just Allegiant's gateway to Florida beaches. These seasonal services run from late December this year through early May next year, covering the peak winter sun tourism season.
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