CLE Reports Major Gains in Passenger Activity for 2023
January 25, 2024
Press Releases
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and its airline partners served a total of 9,868,868 passengers in 2023, up 13.5% over 8,693,866 passengers served in 2022, representing a 98.3% recovery from 2019, the last full year prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLE welcomed more passengers during September, October and November when compared to the same months in 2019, and December was on par with December 2019. Throughout the year, passenger activity continued to strengthen and sets the stage for an even busier 2024.
“We had two new airlines start service during the year, one with Transatlantic service, contributing to our growth. Our established airlines are expanding flight schedules and adding seats to better meet demand for air travel at Cleveland Hopkins,” said Bryant L. Francis, C.M., Director of Port Control. “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.”
Current activity forecasts predict 2024 passenger traffic will surpass that of 2019. The growth of airport passenger traffic re-emphasizes the importance of beginning implementation of the Terminal Modernization Development Program (TMDP), for which the planning effort will accelerate in 2024. Early elements of the TMDP are anticipated to begin by the end of 2025 and extend into the next decade. The TMDP will improve and modernize the terminal campus and greatly elevate the customer experience.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is Northeast Ohio’s Gateway to the World. Serving 10,000,000 passengers annually with over 135 daily departures to 38 nonstop destinations, CLE is Northeast Ohio’s premier commercial airport. With nonstop service operating on 34 domestic and 4 international routes, it is the busiest airport serving State of Ohio metropolitan areas as ranked by passenger activity. Ten passenger airlines and two 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.