In the middle of the night, Louis Claudio’s house sometimes shakes. A roar fills his ears. He wakes, frantic, only to come to his senses and realize it’s not the end of the world — a plane has just flown low over his home.
And it’s likely several others will soon.
These planes often pass after midnight to the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. Their flight paths take them over communities such as Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, Del Oro Grove and Safety Harbor, where Claudio lives. Business at the airport has grown exponentially since he moved in.
The number of passengers per year more than doubled from 1 million in 2013 to 2.5 million in 2023, and the airport recently announced a $110 million expansion to accommodate the increase in traffic.