Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins
International Airport
IATA: CLEICAO: KCLEFAA LID: CLE
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Cleveland
Operator Cleveland Airport System
Serves Cleveland, Ohio
Location Cleveland, Ohio
Focus city for Frontier Airlines[1]
Elevation AMSL 791 ft / 241 m
Coordinates 41°24′42″N 081°50′59″W / 41.41167°N 81.84972°W / 41.41167; -81.84972Coordinates: 41°24′42″N 081°50′59″W / 41.41167°N 81.84972°W / 41.41167; -81.84972
Website www.clevelandairport.com
Maps

FAA airport diagram
CLE
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6L/24R 9,000 2,743 Concrete
6R/24L 9,955 3,034 Concrete
10/28 6,017 1,834 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2012/2013)
Aircraft operations (2012) 180,944
Total passengers (2014) 7,609,404
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[2] and CLE airport.[3]

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (IATA: CLE, ICAO: KCLE, FAA LID: CLE) is a public airport located nine miles (14 km) southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States.[2] The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland. It is the largest airport in the state of Ohio and a focus city for Frontier Airlines.

The airport was founded in 1925, making it the first municipality owned airport in the United States.[4] The airport has been the site of several other airport firsts: the first air traffic control tower, ground to air radio control and the first airfield lighting system, all in 1930, and the first U.S. airport to be directly connected to a local or regional rail transit system, in 1968. The airport was named after its founder, former city manager William R. Hopkins, on his 82nd birthday in 1951.

In 2006 Cleveland unveiled a new marketing campaign. The slogan, "CLE Going Places", is said to depict the airport's pursuit of improving passengers' experience as they upgrade the airport facility and negotiate additional air services.[5] Improvements include upgrades to the restaurant and store concessions program, taxi service, on-site parking, customer service areas, and the attraction of additional flights to new destinations with the airport's new air service development program. Currently, the ticketing lobby and the baggage claim area underneath, and facade are getting improved to possibly draw more airliners to the area and to make the airport a more "open" and "brighter" environment for travelers. The project will be finished in May 2016, just in time for the arrival of the Republican National Convention.

Operational history

North American international service

Intercontinental service

There is no intercontinental service from Cleveland. However, there have been several past short-lived attempts to establish intercontinental service from the airport since it was first granted authority to operate intercontinental service in 1977.[6][7]

Widebody service

During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, CLE had scheduled widebody service. However, with the airlines' trend in the 1990s of using smaller aircraft with increased frequency, all passenger wide-body services were discontinued. Scheduled service included:

For weather-related issues, United will sometimes divert EWR-bound international 767s and 777s into CLE; however, the only scheduled wide-body aircraft that serve CLE are freight carriers:

Airfield, facilities and concourses

Satellite view of the airport.
An American Eagle counter at gate A3 in concourse A.
Hopkins airport is known for its fanciful giant "paper" airplane sculptures located in the underground walkway between Concourses C and D.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport covers 1402 acres(567 ha)[2] and has three runways:

The older parallel runway, Runway 6C/24C, was 7,096 x 150 ft. (2163 x 46 m). Several years ago it was decommissioned as a runway, its width narrowed, and it is now designated Taxiway C. "TAXI" in large yellow letters on each end is intended to discourage approaching aircraft using it as a runway.

Recently the thresholds of Runway 10/28 were moved 330 feet to the east, thus allowing for the addition of Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at both ends. The usable runway length was not altered. During this project, some turnouts were rebuilt and the closed sections of 24L and the former 24C that intersected 10/28 were physically removed.

In 2011 the airport had 188,286 aircraft operations, average 516 per day: 64% air taxi, 31% scheduled commercial, 4.5% general aviation and <1% military. 29 aircraft are based at this airport: 18 jet, 5 single engine, 6 multi-engine and 6 military.[2]

Since 2008, Airmall Cleveland (formerly BAA Cleveland), has developed and managed retail and dining locations at the airport. A redevelopment project will add 76,000 square feet (7,100 m2) of new locations.[16]

Cleveland Airport has two airport lounges. A United Club in Concourse C and an Airspace Lounge at the foot of Concourse B near the Main Terminal.

Cleveland Airport consists of one passenger terminal which is divided into four concourses:

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Two United 737's wait at the gates in Concourse C.
Two United 737's wait at the gates in Concourse C.
AirlinesDestinationsConcourse
Air Canada Express Toronto–Pearson C
American Airlines Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix (ends April 4, 2016)[26] A
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Miami, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington–National (begins April 5, 2016)[26] A
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul (begins April 4, 2016)
Seasonal: Detroit
B
Delta Connection Atlanta, Detroit, Hartford, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Raleigh/Durham
Seasonal: Orlando
B
Frontier Airlines Cancún, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles (begins April 14, 2016),[27] Orlando, Philadelphia (begins April 15, 2016),[27] Portland (OR) (begins April 14, 2016),[27] San Francisco (begins April 16, 2016),[27] Tampa
Seasonal: Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Punta Cana, Raleigh/Durham, Seattle/Tacoma
A1
JetBlue Airways Boston, Fort Lauderdale C
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, St. Louis (begins June 5, 2016) Seasonal: Fort Myers, Orlando B
Spirit Airlines Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando
Seasonal: Boston, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach, Tampa
A
United Airlines Cancún, Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas (ends May 4, 2016),[28] Los Angeles, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco
Seasonal: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, San Juan
C1
United Express Boston, Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Milwaukee, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, St. Louis (ends May 6, 2016),[29] Washington–Dulles, Washington–National C

Charter

AirlinesDestinationsConcourse
Apple Vacations
operated by Xtra Airways
Seasonal: Punta Cana A
Vacation Express
operated by Interjet
Seasonal: Cancún A
Vacation Express
operated by Swift Air
Seasonal: Punta Cana A
Notes

^1 All international arrivals are processed at Concourse A.

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Express Indianapolis, Memphis, Newark
FedEx Feeder
operated by Mountain Air Cargo
Erie
UPS Airlines Louisville

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from CLE (Nov 2014 – Oct 2015)[30]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 408,000 American, United
2 Atlanta, Georgia 331,000 Delta, Frontier, Spirit
3 Chicago–Midway, Illinois 217,000 Southwest
4 Las Vegas, Nevada 203,000 Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
5 Orlando, Florida 197,000 Frontier, Spirit, United
6 Charlotte, North Carolina 196,000 American/US Airways
7 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 180,000 American, Spirit
8 Denver, Colorado 178,000 Frontier, Southwest, United
9 Newark, New Jersey 151,000 United
10 New York–LaGuardia, New York 135,000 American, Delta, United
Busiest international routes from CLE (2013)[31]
RankAirportPassengersCarriers
1 Toronto (Pearson), Canada 128,700 Air Canada Express
2 Cancún, Mexico 87,480 Frontier, United
3 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 33,240 Frontier

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at CLE, 1999 through 2014[32]
Year Passengers
1999 13,020,285
2000 13,288,059 Increase
2001 11,864,411 Decrease
2002 10,795,270 Decrease
2003 10,555,387 Decrease
2004 11,264,937 Increase
2005 11,463,391 Increase
2006 11,321,050 Decrease
2007 11,459,390 Increase
2008 11,106,196 Decrease
2009 9,715,604 Decrease
2010 9,492,455 Decrease
2011 9,176,824 Decrease
2012 9,004,983 Decrease
2013 9,072,126 Increase
2014 7,609,404 Decrease

Ground transportation

Public transit

Cleveland RTA at the airport station
Airport welcome sign

Hopkins International Airport is connected to the Cleveland Rapid Transit system. Passengers can board Red Line trains at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (RTA Rapid Transit station) airport terminal. One-way fare to any station on the line is $2.25. During late night/early morning hours, service is provided by the # 22 Lorain bus from Hopkins to Downtown Cleveland. The airport also offers a dedicated taxi service of 75 vehicles.[33]

Rental cars

In 1998, Hopkins moved rental car operations off the airport grounds to a new consolidated rental car facility. The facility has drawn mixed reviews from travelers because of its distance from the airport, inconsistent bus service and long bus rides, only partial canopy coverage for vehicles, and fees and taxes that are very high relative to those of other airports; the charges cover costs of not only operating the center but also supporting other local projects, such as the Cleveland Browns stadium.[34]

Accidents and incidents

Relationship with United and Continental

From the postwar era until the mid-1980s, United Airlines maintained its eastern-most domestic hub at CLE. Beginning in 1985, United started the process of migrating its CLE hub capacity to Washington-Dulles; this process was completed in 1987. The same year, Continental Airlines, which was then a separate carrier and lacked a Midwest hub, quickly moved into fill the void left by United. This gave the then Continental hubs in five markets: Houston, Denver (subsequently dehubbed), Newark (per its acquisition of People Express in 1987), Guam and Cleveland.

Continental increased its hub capacity at Hopkins, becoming the airport's largest tenant and eventually accounting for upwards of 60 percent of passenger traffic. Continental and Hopkins both made substantial operational and capital investments in support of CLE; this included the construction of Concourse D in 1999 that provided accommodations for Continental Express flights.

Continental—United merger

On May 2, 2010, the Boards of Directors at Continental and United Airlines approved a stock-swap merger deal. The legal aspects of a full merger were completed on October 1, 2010.[42] The Continental-United marriage only heightened simmering concerns within the greater Cleveland area about the potential effect on Cleveland air service; Continental's previous merger talks with Star Alliance founding partner United had been viewed in some circles as a serious threat to Continental's future at Hopkins.[43][44] When the 2010 United/Continental tie-up was initially announced, it prompted Cleveland politicians to propose hearings to investigate the potential impact of the marriage on the community; these investigations ultimately had no effect on the companies' efforts to combine. There had been persistent worries that a post-merger United would reduce or eliminate direct service from Cleveland to a number of cities and instead route passengers through United's hubs in Chicago [315 miles (507 km) west by air] and Washington [217 miles (349 km) east by air].[45][46] On November 10, 2010, Continental CEO Jeff Smisek stated in a speech in Cleveland that "Cleveland needs to earn its hub status every day" and added that overall profitability would be the determining factor in whether the new United kept or shuttered the Cleveland hub operation.[47] However, after the agreement was signed, passenger volume at Cleveland continued to drop.[48]

Dehubbing

On February 1, 2014, former United CEO Jeff Smisek announced that the airline would shutter its Cleveland hub the following June. "Our hub in Cleveland hasn't been profitable for over a decade, and has generated tens of millions of dollars of annual losses in recent years," Smisek stated in a letter to United employees. "We simply cannot continue to bear these losses."[49] As of June 5, 2014, United Airlines effectively ended its hub operation at CLE; however, the airport still continues to remain as a "key airport" for the airline.[50]

Aftermath

After the announcement of United Airlines's departure in 2014, Cleveland saw greatly decreased flight operations, and by June, 2014, United Airlines' had cut more than 60% of its daily departures at the airport.[51] As a result of United Airlines' reduced schedule, Frontier Airlines has significantly increased its flight options from the airport and declared Cleveland a focus city.[1] After the dehubbing of United Airlines, more low-cost airlines, such as Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, came to Cleveland. The airport is now #8 of being the most affordable airports in the United States at $278 (the airport was in 66th place before.) The #1 most affordable airport that also serves an Ohio metropolitan area is Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport at $199. The airport also grows in seating capacity of planes as more airlines come. The dehubbing of United mostly impacted regional planes (ERJ-135 and 145, Dash 8 series, Beechcraft series) which have fewer seats. They also fly to small, regional airports. The only ERJ series aircraft currently are operated by United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle. The only Dash 8 series aircraft at CLE is Air Canada Express

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. 1 2 Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY (March 21, 2014). "Frontier Airlines tabs Cleveland as newest focus city". USA TODAY.
  2. 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Master Record for CLE (Form 5010 PDF), effective July 5, 2007
  3. "History". CLE Going Places - Cleveland Hopkins Airport.
  4. Airport History
  5. "OH – Cleveland – Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport – CLE". Layovermeetups.weebly.com. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  6. "11 New 'Gateways' to Europe Proposed". The Milwaukee Journal. September 12, 1977. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  7. "TWA Ponders Europe Flights". Observer-Reporter. December 23, 1977. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  8. Bennett, Marcia (June 24, 1982). "Button-Box Band Tours Slovenia". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  9. "1985/86: JAT Yugoslav Airlines Long-haul Network". Routes Online. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  10. "From Aeroput to JAT Airways". JAT Airlines. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
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  12. Grant, Alison (December 3, 2009). "Continental Airlines Cancels Non-Stop Seasonal Flights From Cleveland to London". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  13. "Continental: Cleveland-London nonstop is gone for good". USA Today. December 4, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  14. Grant, Alison (October 22, 2009). "Continental Airlines' New Alliance May Smooth Connections for Northeast Ohio Travelers". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  15. "Nonstop Port Columbus flight to London? It may happen". Archived from the original on 2014-08-29. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  16. "Concessions Transformation at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is Generating New Jobs, Creating Need for Qualified Applicants" (PDF). BAA Cleveland. June 11, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: OUTCALT AND GUENTHER".
  18. "US Air Wants Mini-Hub in Cleveland". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 23, 1987. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  19. "Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Concourse B". Flickr - Photo Sharing!.
  20. "Engineering News-Record" 183. McGraw-Hill. 1969: 48. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  21. "Continental Airlines Concourse C". Robert P. Madison International. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  22. 1 2 "Continental Airlines Unveils State-of-the-Art Aviation Facility in Cleveland" (Press release). Continental Airlines. May 13, 1999. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  23. Continental Airlines Concourse D – RPMI
  24. "United vacating Cleveland airport concourse". The Washingtion Times.
  25. "What will become of Concourse D after United Airlines cuts regional flights at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport?". cleveland.com.
  26. 1 2 "American Airlines adds Cleveland-to-Washington Reagan Flights, Drops Phoenix". Plain Dealer. December 11, 2015.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Frontier Airlines adds flights from Cleveland Hopkins to Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia". cleveland.com.
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  29. Glaser, Susan (February 6, 2016). "United Airlines cuts nonstop flights from Cleveland Hopkins to Las Vegas, St. Louis". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  30. "Cleveland, OH: Cleveland-Hopkins International (CLE)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved Jan 14, 2016.
  31. U.S. International Air Passenger and Freight Statistics Report | Department of Transportation. Dot.gov (July 8, 2013). Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
  32. "History". CLE Going Places - Cleveland Hopkins Airport.
  33. "Taxis". Cleveland Airport System. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  34. Beauprez, Jennifer (June 1, 1998). "Hopkins Rental Car Prices Flyin' Higher". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  35. "Ship Crashes to Earth in Sight of Cleveland Airport". Evening Independent. May 25, 1938. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  36. "Earthworms Stop Air Traffic in Cleveland". Milwaukee Journal (Cleveland). September 16, 1972. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  37. "N16571 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  38. "Power Back on at Cleveland Airport". CNN. January 10, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  39. Richards, Leah (December 9, 2012). "Cleveland Hopkins International Airport employee parking lot shooting under investigation". News Net 5. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  40. "Police: Airport security officer killed in Ohio". Associated Press. December 10, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  41. Nist, Cassandra (February 22, 2013). "No injuries reported after United plane slides off taxiway at Cleveland Hopkins Airport". WEWS-TV. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  42. Smisek, Jeffrey A. (October 1, 2010). "What Does the Merger Mean for You". Continental Airlines. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  43. Stacklin, Jeff (December 13, 2006). "Continental Merger Heating Up". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  44. "Continental to Join Star Alliance". Continental Airlines. June 19, 2008. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  45. O'Donnell, Paul (June 19, 2008). "Continental, United Agree to Link Airline Networks". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  46. Koenig, David (April 7, 2009). "DOT Plans to OK Continental Joining Star Alliance". USA Today. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  47. Miller, Jay (November 10, 2010). "United Airlines CEO Smisek Says Cleveland Must 'Earn Its Hub Status Every Day'". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  48. Ramsey, Mike (September 28, 2011). "Airline Mergers Leave Airports Off the Radar". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  49. "Excite News - United Airlines drops Cleveland as hub airport".
  50. "Airports and terminal maps".
  51. "Frontier Airlines continues push from Cleveland as Dulles fires up. Now for?: US ULCCs Part 2".

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