St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (PIE): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 87% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 68% in June 2025. Across the year it averages 78% against a national 78%, over roughly 25 departures a day to 67 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 78%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 70%
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Destinations
- 67
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 1
Plan your departure from PIE
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 8 a.m.
- 94% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 80% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.5%
- close to the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from PIE
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 22 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 15 min |
| Friday | 75% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 21 min |
Busiest routes from PIE
Where flights into PIE come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TYS (Knoxville) → PIE | 522 | 74% | 24 min |
| AVL (Asheville) → PIE | 508 | 72% | 24 min |
| GRR (Grand Rapids) → PIE | 381 | 77% | 15 min |
| CVG (Cincinnati) → PIE | 351 | 72% | 22 min |
| EYW (Key West) → PIE | 313 | 80% | 14 min |
| ABE (Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton) → PIE | 280 | 83% | 21 min |
| FNT (Flint) → PIE | 275 | 78% | 15 min |
| IND (Indianapolis) → PIE | 228 | 70% | 24 min |
What causes delays at PIE
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing PIE.
- Late-arriving aircraft41%
- Airline operations25%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather13%
- Security1%
Alternative airports near St. Petersburg
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPA — Tampa International Airport | 10 mi | 78% | 17 min |
| SRQ — Sarasota Bradenton International Airport | 37 mi | 81% | 18 min |
| PGD — Punta Gorda Airport | 81 mi | 79% | 17 min |
| MCO — Orlando International Airport | 91 mi | 75% | 19 min |
| SFB — Orlando Sanford International Airport | 107 mi | 72% | 23 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at PIE?
- 22% of departures from St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 17 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from PIE?
- Flights scheduled around 8 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at PIE, versus 55% around 6 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at PIE?
- In this dataset, June 2025 was the weakest month at PIE, with 68% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at PIE?
- 1.5% of scheduled departures from PIE were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 19,224 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.