[Times photo: Scott Keeler]
Dave Metz, executive director of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, has offered an ambitious expansion plan.
Can Tampa Bay support two major airports in 20 years? Ask Dave Metz and he will tell you it already does.
As executive director for St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, Metz oversees the area's second-largest airport. He made news last week when he asked Pinellas County commissioners to consider spending $223-million for an expansion plan that would be the largest at the airport in 25 years.
But don't expect to see Delta Air Lines or American Airlines any time soon. Just 5 percent of the airport's annual traffic comes from commercial flights, and Metz does not anticipate that changing much. Under his plan, expansion would mean more corporate flights, seasonal charters and even real estate development.
There's even talk of charging passengers a $3 facility fee, something many airports do, to help pay for the expansion. Airport traffic has grown substantially in recent months, with ATA Airlines offering new service to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Metz is no stranger to Pinellas County government. He spent 26 years working for the city of St. Petersburg and a short stint for Pinellas County's economic development agency before taking over the top job at the airport in November 2000.
He sat down with Times reporter Michael Sandler recently to discuss this ambitious plan.
Q: Is this master plan a wish list or a realistic blueprint?
A: We show growth (in the master plan) to be as high as 1.5-million or 1.6-million (passengers) by 2022. Our total projections for '04 could be as high as 1.1-million. So if you ask me if that master plan is realistic, I'd say it is very realistic.
I think this airport is very unique to Pinellas County. It's in the center of the county. It encompasses 2,000 acres. It's in the gateway area, which is a major employment base for Pinellas County.
It's a reasonable blueprint. It's a 20-year plan. It sets some objectives. Yes, it is reasonable.
Q: Where would the money come from to realize such an ambitious plan?
A: It's a combination of federal funding through the FAA (based on departure statistics). It could come in the form of additional discretionary funding. It could be supported congressionally - we've been the recipient of two congressional appropriations the last couple of years.
It could be state dollars through Florida Department of Transportation, through the aviation program. It could be operating revenue. It could be, as we suggested to the board on Tuesday, kind of a new approach for this airport, through bonding against passenger facility charges.
One of the greatest potential revenue sources for this airport is a lot of the real estate that is here that is not under development, specifically the golf course and some other vacant parcels that are around the airport.
Q: Would this expansion put SPCIA in direct competition with Tampa International?
A: Possibly, but we maintain a good relationship with Hillsborough Aviation Authority. Some of the things we are trying to accomplish, we've been in partner with them. I'll use the runway extension as an example. The thought there is we would use those improvements to attract charter or seasonal service that would not compete with Tampa International. This area is very strong for that.
They assisted us with making contacts with those tour operators and securing letters of support, which is part of a prerequisite to a runway extension project. They understood if those carriers came in, those people would not only benefit Pinellas County, but they would also go to Hillsborough County and spend tourism dollars. So we saw it as a regional benefit.
Q: Can the Tampa Bay area support two major airports?
A: I think they are supporting two major airports. If you look at the economic impact of what this airport generates, we both have a significant impact. When you talk about the (number of takeoffs and landings) and activities at this airport, it's different than Tampa International. We do approximately 235,000 operations (takeoffs and landings) annually. Five percent of those are air carrier operations.
Tampa International does closer to 250,000 or 260,000, and you can confirm that with them, but the point is 95 percent of those are commercial carriers. So our mix is different.
Q: Do you see a turnaround coming in the unsteady environment in the airline industry?
A: I just had a conversation with the CEO of an aviation company this morning about that. We were talking about perhaps there might be some radical changes.
You are seeing some of the airlines use regional jets, smaller jets. Hub and spoke systems (a large airport connecting with smaller airports) may not be as attractive for some of the airlines in the past. We recently experienced a fairly sharp increase in our passenger numbers for scheduled service. I think we are seeing the emergence of some low-cost carriers and startups.
Obviously, the industry is going through a lot of changes. The major air carriers are struggling. . . . One of the problems this airport has had is we've had ups and downs. One of the challenges I think we have to do is sustain our traffic. If we can keep (passengers) at 1-million, 1.2-million, and then have some steady growth like the consultant suggested, 3 percent a year, I think that is financially healthy. But that's been a struggle for this airport. In a lot of cases, when some of those airlines get established, they may move over to Tampa International for more stability and continuity.
Q: Would expansion dramatically increase the noise for people in the flight path?
A: Obviously, the number of operations that come into this airport, if they increase, there is more of an impact with noise. And we would continue to professionally manage that as other airports do, and as we are currently doing. And that would continue to be evaluated and monitored.
Q: What are the major hurdles this plan faces?
A: I think one of the primary issues is the funding. Currently, the airport operates under a pay-as-you-go philosophy. It's an enterprise organization within Pinellas County.
We can only improve the facilities at the rate we receive federal grants and we generate operating revenue. One of the ways to accelerate development is through looking at bonding. I think private-sector interest in the airport and their investment in new facilities is a factor. I think the economy is improving.
The fact that the airport has updated the master plan, and shown graphically to businesses that might want to invest in the airport what some of the opportunities are, I think all those are good indications or steps. But what it comes down to is the ability to make those improvements through some kind of a funding mechanism.
So, the quicker that we get some of this real estate developed, and get some positive cash flow or higher level of cash flow off the real estate inventory, (the quicker that happens).
Obviously, the increase we've had in passengers has been important. A passenger facility charge will increase operating revenue. I think it is a fairly ambitious plan.
Q: Would expansion require the County Commission to relinquish control of the airport to some sort of independent authority?
A: I don't think so. They would be within their authority to make those decisions.
We are kind of unique. Most airports of this size are managed by an independent authority. We are fortunate to have a good body of elected officials. I don't think that has to occur. There may be some benefits to that. The growth that will occur here will be manageable.
I think the County Commission is comfortable with their role as governing authority of the airport, and see no indication that that will change in the future.
Q: Apart from the airport itself, who stands to benefit from a major expansion of the airport?
A: I think local businesses. We identified that there are 56 businesses on site. Obviously, all those businesses have an interest in how this airport grows and expands. I think there is opportunity for new businesses to be here at the airport and be part of that development.
And then you look at the residents in Pinellas County. There's a significant benefit to individuals as far as employment opportunities. Benefits for tourism industry, the business climate as a whole, and so a number of people or interests benefit.
I think obviously our first area of interest would be aviation-related.
If you look at the master plan update, it identifies additional facilities for corporate hangars and corporate aviation facilities. Those type of operations typically provide good land rent for the airport. They also provide good tax benefit. They have high-paying jobs. So there is a lot of opportunity for corporate aviation.
Obviously, some of the property does not have to be directly related to aviation. We've got a fairly significant real estate inventory. We've got a business park that has a whole spectrum of businesses on the other side of Roosevelt.
Certainly the golf course property could be developed to seek corporate business locations or business offices. So there's all kinds of opportunity.
Q: What odds would you give that this ambitious plan will actually happen?
A: I'm fairly optimistic that a lot of the facilities or the opportunities identified in the master plan will be seen. It's just a question of timing. It's a 20-year look ahead. And a lot of it is driven by financial commitments, by either the county or the private sector.
There's a tremendous opportunity for this airport. It's positioned very well. It's in the center of the county. Again, it's a major employment area.
Most of your manufacturing in Pinellas County is centered around this airport. We have a lot of significant real estate inventory, much of which can be placed to a higher and better use. We've recently upgraded our runway facilities. We are scheduled for some navigational aid improvements.
We are scheduled, hopefully, to go into a runway extension project that will open up new gateways. It's a long answer to a short question. There's just tremendous opportunity. . . . Looking ahead, that's going to keep all of us very busy.
