CLE Experiences Passenger Decline in November Amidst Airline Capacity Reductions
December 31, 2024
Press Releases
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) welcomed 764,763 guests in November, a decrease of 8.4 percent over last year, due to airline capacity reductions.
“Select airlines have reduced capacity at CLE which makes it extremely difficult to maintain passenger levels year over year. We are engaging with airline partners to reverse this recent trend in the New Year,” said Bryant L. Francis, C.M., Director of Port Control. “Cleveland remains a strong origin and destination market, underscored by higher airport load factors experienced in both October and November.”
During the month, airline capacity declined by 121,062 seats, or 11 percent, compared to November 2023. Spirit Airlines was responsible for much of the capacity loss, down 93,894 seats, an 88 percent year-over-year decline. United seat capacity decreased by 25,394 (-9.7 percent) and American by 19,141 (-9.9 percent) seats. Further contributing to capacity loss, Air Canada suspended its nonstop Toronto service in October and will return in Spring 2025. Frontier added 22,500 seats (+11 percent) while Delta added 8,685 seats (+6 percent). However, these seat gains were not enough to overcome the losses experienced by other airlines in November. Airline load factors have continued to grow year-over-year. In October and November of 2023, the average load factor was 77 percent. For the same months in 2024, the average load factor was 86 percent, a 9 point increase.
CLE enjoyed strong passenger activity results through August of this year. However, because of the recent seat capacity reduction, the airport will not meet its original 2024 forecast of 10,250,000 passengers. Year to date, 9,367,757 passengers have traveled through CLE and the airport fully expects to exceed the 10,040,817 passengers it welcomed in 2019.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is Northeast Ohio’s Gateway to the World. Serving 10,000,000 passengers annually with over 120 daily departures to 46 nonstop destinations, CLE is Northeast Ohio’s premier commercial airport. With nonstop service operating on 40 domestic and 5 international routes, it is the busiest airport serving State of Ohio metropolitan areas as ranked by passenger activity. Eleven passenger airlines and four all-cargo airlines operate regularly at CLE. The upcoming multi-phase Terminal Modernization Development Program will elevate the travel experience for all through an extensive transformation of terminal and related facilities. It is anticipated to begin in 2025, the Airport’s 100th Anniversary, and extend into the next decade.