Nearly 300 private jets are making their way to Tampa International Airport this weekend.

“Typically on an average day here, we’ll do about 50 corporate jets through our facilities. We’ll be in upwards of 300 during our peak times, so an increase of 300-400 percent,” said Brett Fay, director of general aviation with the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

The Super Bowl is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, one that typically brings in corporate big wigs, team ownership, and celebrities to the host city.

Tampa International Airport has spent more than a year planning to accommodate their private planes.

“To create room to park all these airplanes, we actually have to close down our crosswind runway. We’re parking planes on taxiways and runways that are closed for aircraft parking. And we also put a ramp advisory and these folks are air traffic controllers that help get these airplanes safely from the runways to our parking areas,” said Fay.

To put things into perspective, flying one of the planes roughly 1,000 miles would cost about $40,000 in fuel alone. 

Multiply that by the 300 planes we’re expecting to see here this weekend, and it’s definitely an economic driver for the city.

“It means economic impact, it means jobs. As a matter of fact, these fbos (fixed based operator) will probably do an upwards of 250,000 gallons of fuel for this event. So it’s a really great opportunity for us to have this type of business come into Tampa, especially when we need it the most,” said Fay.

As for who is onboard, that remains confidential.

But Fay says it’s after the Super Bowl that the real games begin.

“We’ll have a massive departure push of aircrafts where they’ll be lined up on our runways one after the next,” said Fay.

And it will put Tampa on the map as more than just the best Super Bowl host city.

“It will undoubtedly make Tampa International Airport the busiest airport in the country, if not the world,” said Fay.​