CLEVELAND — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) enjoyed a year of growth in 2023, welcoming nearly 9.9 million passengers as its recovery from the pandemic is nearly complete.
Officials say the number of passengers served at CLE in 2023 went up nearly 14% from the previous year's figure of 8.69 million. The growth in 2023 represents a 98.3% recovery from 2019, the last full year before the onset of COVID-19.
A closer look at the numbers show that CLE welcomed more passengers during September, October and November of this year when compared to the same months in 2019, with December 2023 being on par with December 2019.
There were plenty of highlights during the year at Hopkins Airport, most notably the return of transatlantic service with the arrival of Aer Lingus in May. Passengers from CLE can fly nonstop to Dublin, Ireland four times a week, connecting them to more than 20 European destinations.
Frontier Airlines is expanding its operations at CLE, with plans to open a crew base in March of this year. Frontier says the base is expected to employ up to 110 pilots, 250 flight attendants and 50 aircraft maintenance personnel within the first year. In addition, the airline added nonstop service to San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2023 and will be offering flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica this year.
United Airlines also made additions to its CLE operation, expanding daily service from Hopkins to several destinations in Florida. The airline is reintroducing daily nonstop service from CLE to Tampa and also increasing its frequency of flights from Hopkins Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, and Orlando to two daily, nonstop flights. United is also offering seasonal nonstop flights from Cleveland to Las Vegas and Phoenix this spring.
A new airline will be coming to Hopkins Airport in 2024 as Sun Country Airlines will offer nonstop flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul starting in May. The new route will operate four times a week with fares starting as low as $19 one way.
With these new developments, officials predict that CLE passenger traffic in 2024 will surpass 2019.
“We are encouraged by the operational results representing the final months of 2023. As one of our longtime airlines establishes a base of operations at CLE beginning this spring, expect more new service announcements to support that investment. My team continues to discuss and propose new and/or expanded air service with numerous airlines, some of which do not presently serve CLE. We have a great story to share with airlines about Northeast Ohio and its air travel market," said Director of Port Control Bryant Francis, who oversees CLE.
The biggest challenge awaiting Francis and his staff will be implementing the multi-billion-dollar master plan to overhaul the terminal at Hopkins Airport. Officials say the planning effort will "accelerate" in 2024 with "early elements" anticipated to begin by the end of next year and extend into the next decade. As 3News' Matt Rascon reported, increasing construction costs have contributed to the rising price of the project, now nearing $3 billion. In the meantime, a $3 million plan to renovate airport restrooms will get underway this year and continue through the spring of 2025.
Previous Reporting:
- Sun Country Airlines coming to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with nonstop service to Minneapolis-St. Paul
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport needs airline buy-in for proposed terminal overhaul
- Frontier Airlines to expand operations at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with new crew base in 2024