TPA sees World Series rush as fans fly in for Tropicana Field games
Tampa International Airport is getting an October baseball boost in passenger traffic as fans from across the country pour into the Tampa Bay area for the World Series at Tropicana Field.
On Monday morning, Jacob Kupferman and two friends he has known since high school landed at TPA for what they called a once-in-a-lifetime trip to watch their beloved Milwaukee Brewers compete for the team’s first World Series title.
They were among a steady stream of passengers arriving Sunday and Monday ahead of Game 3 as the series shifted from Milwaukee to St. Petersburg.
After a remarkable season and an American League pennant run, the Rays dropped the first three games of the series, losing Monday night's Game 3 in front of a packed crowd of more than 40,000 at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay will try to avoid a sweep Tuesday night in Game 4 and potentially extend the series to Game 5 on Wednesday. If necessary, the series could then return to Milwaukee for Games 6 and 7.
The World Series has given TPA a big surge during one of the Airport’s slowest travel periods. September and October are typically among the lightest months for passenger traffic, but earlier this week the airport projected between 75,000 and 80,000 passengers per day, a significant jump from its average of 55,000 for this time of year. TPA's Operations team expects another wave of travelers when the series ends and fans head home.
Inside the Main Terminal, the postseason atmosphere was hard to miss. Fans of both teams were seen throughout the week wearing Rays and Brewers gear, while airport displays leaned into the moment with Rays merchandise, giant “TB” letters for photos and decals of swimming rays spread throughout the terminal. Even Phoebe, the airport’s 21-foot-tall flamingo art installation, became part of the backdrop for baseball selfies.
What stood out most, according to some TPA employees, was the number of Rays fans flying in from around the country and places like the Dominican Republic to catch the games.
One fan from Connecticut said he grew up rooting for the Yankees but became a Rays supporter after Tampa Bay’s dramatic run past the Boston Red Sox en route to the 2008 World Series. He said he planned to attend all three games in St. Petersburg if the Rays could avoid a sweep.
Whatever the outcome, the World Series has turned St. Petersburg and the entire Tampa Bay area into the center of the baseball world once again, with Tropicana Field hosting the game’s biggest stage and TPA serving as the gateway for thousands of traveling fans.
