Airport traffic smashes previous spring break record

CLEARWATER — March 2018 was the busiest month in the history of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), which experienced a 15% increase in passenger traffic over March 2017.

According to a press release, the airport served 237,021 passengers in March, which is historically the busiest time of the year for PIE as spring breakers flock to the Tampa Bay area.

International passenger traffic, however, was down slightly. PIE reports that it served 4,328 international passengers in March, an 8% decrease from March 2017.

Year-to-date, passenger traffic is up 13%, the release states.