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Tim Evanson/Flicrk CC
Hopkins Airport with travelers displaying all the joy of being there
Cleveland's airport came in dead last -- 15th out of 15, scoring just 580 points out of a possible 1,000 -- for medium-sized airports, trailing Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati.
With abysmally long TSA lines, perpetually disgusting bathrooms, parking headaches, and all closed-in, beige ambience you could ask for, survey respondents echoed what Clevelanders and those passing through Hopkins have long known.
While traveler numbers have bounced back from pre-pandemic levels, and while low-budget airlines have floated new, seasonal routes (until they're canceled), Hopkins continues to struggle compared to its counterparts and fared worse this year than last, when it placed 13th in the same rankings.
Is hope on the horizon? Sure.
The Hopkins modernization plan -- with a pricetag of $175 million for just the first phase, all funded by the airlines -- is set to break ground next year. Slated to be completed over the next ten years, the full $3 billion project will bring a new terminal, expanded ticketing areas, refreshes for gates, new security areas and more.
“Approval of the first phase of the [terminal project] further demonstrates airline recognition of the need for CLE’s modernization, the strength of the Cleveland metro area and the commitment to the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio,” Mayor Justin Bibb, whose voice can be heard welcoming travelers to the sad airport on a prerecorded message, said in February this year when the funding for the first phase was solidified. “We want to thank our airlines serving CLE for their continued support, investment and partnership with the City of Cleveland.”
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