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.