CLEVELAND — While Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is continuing to experience a surge in passengers coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study from J.D. Power shows that the airport still has a long way to go in terms of traveler satisfaction.
The 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power measured overall passenger satisfaction with mega, large and medium North American airports by examining their experience across seven core dimensions.
Here are the dimensions in order of importance:
- Ease of travel through airport
- Level of trust with airport
- Terminal facilities
- Airport staff
- Departure/to airport experience
- Food, beverage and retail
- Arrival/from airport experience
Among "medium" North American airports, CLE ranked last out of 15 surveyed, scoring 580 out of 1,000 in J.D. Power's overall customer satisfaction index ranking. Last year, Hopkins scored 794 and finished No. 13 out of 16.
Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.
This year's top airports were Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in the "mega" category, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA in the "large" category, and Indianapolis International Airport for "medium."
Only seven airports in North America (regardless of size) finished with a lower score than CLE, including Philadelphia International, Chicago's O'Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, and Newark Liberty.
So what happened this year? Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, told Susan Glaser of 3News media partner Cleveland.com that CLE did poorly in several categories – including getting to the airport, ease of travel through the airport and terminal facilities (which includes bathroom cleanliness).
Despite the disappointing J.D. Power ranking, there are reasons for optimism when it comes to CLE.
Hopkins Airport served 9.8 million passengers in 2023, up 13.5% from the previous year. Airport leaders are projecting that 10.2 million will fly through CLE this year. In July alone, nearly 992,000 passengers were serviced at Hopkins, the most in a single month since 2008.
The airport is also preparing to implement its ambitious $3 billion master plan to overhaul its terminal. Officials say "early elements" of the massive project are anticipated to begin by the end of next year and extend into the next decade. In the meantime, a $3 million project to renovate airport restrooms is ongoing and will continue through the spring of 2025.
“I know they have plans to improve,” Taylor told Glaser. “It takes time. It also takes political will.”
3News reached out to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport for reaction to the J.D. Power results and received the following statement from Director of Port Control Bryant Francis:
“We are aware of the challenges related to our current customer experience. Planning for the Terminal Modernization Development Program, a multi-year, transformational reimagining initiative at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), is gaining momentum. Tremendous local support exists to move it from vision to reality. Implementation of the program will greatly elevate CLE in areas where improvement is warranted. Numerous interim initiatives such as the restroom refresh project are either underway, or being planned for the near-term, that will allow us to better serve our guests until the farther-reaching elements are introduced. In coming months, we will share details surrounding our quest to create an air travel experience both Northeast Ohio residents and visitors deserve, and are excited to do so.”
Previous Reporting:
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport welcomes nearly 9.9 million passengers in 2023, continuing recovery from pandemic
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport needs airline buy-in for proposed terminal overhaul
- JD Power survey shows Cleveland Hopkins ranks near bottom among similar-sized airports in the US