Charter flights to increase at St. Pete airport during RNC

May 29--CLEARWATER -- Some airspace restrictions will be imposed during the Republican National Convention in late August but commercial airlines will fly as normal.

General aviation traffic, on the other hand -- everything but military flights and scheduled airlines -- will have some planning to do.

Federal security guidelines will be in place for flights within a 10-mile radius of the Aug. 26 kick-off party in St. Petersburg and the Aug. 27-30 convention in Tampa.

The restrictions are similar to those imposed during the four Tampa Super Bowls. Those affected will include convention-goers arriving by private plane.

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is developing plans to handle additional general aviation and charter flights.

"It's still too early to know just how much extra traffic the airport will handle," said Tom Jewsbury, deputy director of operations and facilities at the Pinellas airport.

"Our impression from the Super Bowls is that pilots will be looking to fly out of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International."

About 30 days before the convention, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to publish its Temporary Flight Restrictions for local flights between 9 a.m. and midnight while convention events are under way.

Several factors favor the Pinellas airport for general aviation.

Foremost is its location just beyond the 10-mile, no-fly zone radius, which is centered on downtown Tampa on Monday through Thursday of convention week.

At the Pinellas airport, passengers can avoid the enhanced, time-consuming security procedures at Tampa International. The exception is Sunday, Aug. 26, the day of the preconvention party at Tropicana Field.

Even Tampa airport officials say some general aviation traffic that customarily uses Tampa International might want to use the Pinellas airport during the convention.

Tampa International handles about 66 general aviation flights each day.

Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands is expected to be closed to general aviation during the convention. Government aircraft enforcing security during the convention are expected to use the airport.

The security plan will require that general aviation flights using any of three local airports to file a flight plan 24 hours in advance. They are Tampa International, St. Petersburg-Clearwater International and Tampa Executive Airport, formerly known as Vandenberg Airport.

For inbound general aviation flights, aircraft heading into one of the restricted areas must first land at one of two "gateway" airports -- Sarasota-Bradenton International or Orlando International -- where the pilot, passengers and aircraft contents must be screened, similar to procedures at airports for a commercial flight.

The same security procedure applies to outbound flights, with gateway security crews in place to check pilots, passengers and what they are carrying at the Tampa, St. Pete-Clearwater and Tampa Executive airports.

Extra traffic from the Republican National Convention isn't expected to be a major revenue generator for the Pinellas airport, which will charge a modest $10 to $25 a day for aircraft parking.

The Pinellas airport also will collect 6.5 cents a gallon on fuel sales. That generated about $3,200 in revenue from 50,000 gallons sold during the last local Super Bowl, in 2009.

Ambassadors will be in place throughout the airport to help visitors find their way.

"We will do what we can to be good hosts to our visitors in hopes they return," airport director Noah Lagos said.