Nov. 20: Committee of the Whole, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Tim Zelina (notes)
A look ahead at Hopkins modernization
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport’s Terminal Modernization Development Program, developed in 2021, will be completed in stages “to debut over the next several years,” according to Director of Port Control Bryant Francis.
Dennis Kramer, assistant director of the department, presented updates to Cleveland City Council on Nov. 20. Kramer explained the need for more space and planned expansions to create it. Documenter Tim Zelina noted the following goals and comments:
- Increasing ticketing/check-in space from 7,700 square feet to 11,200 square feet, as the existing space is too narrow and lacks depth.
- Increasing space for checked baggage inspection systems from 11,200 square feet to 19,500 square feet, adding two additional explosive detection systems and up to 14 checked baggage resolution areas.
- Consolidating security screening checkpoints, increasing total space from 21,200 square feet to 43,000 square feet.
- Increasing gate waiting area space, from 101,200 square feet to 163,500 square feet, as holdrooms are currently undersized for projected demand.
- Adding gates, raising the existing number from 45 gates to 53 to accommodate future passenger and aircraft operation growth.
Additional projects include more walkable spaces, more parking areas, a new rental car facility that is walkable from the terminal, and a new configured roadway system to optimize traffic flow. The team also hopes to add concessions.
Francis said current bathroom renovations are delayed, with one new expansion set to open prior to Thanksgiving. He said executing the modernization plan “sort of will be like renovating and expanding our house while we are living in it.”
‘We lose candidates at step one’
The Department of Port Control’s operational review presentation to Cleveland City Council also revealed many vacancies among custodial workers, project coordinators and airport maintenance workers.
In his opening statement to council, Francis expressed concern that people are not applying to fill vacant job positions at the airport in part because of the salary ranges. He said candidates “look at salary and benefits as a primary determining factor of initial interest.”
“We lose candidates at step one, meaning they don’t even apply,” he added.
Francis said the department will focus on employee retention, more competitive hiring practices, and improved marketing of open positions.
He also shared the Department of Port Control’s employee diversity report. Of the current employees, 75% are male and 25% are female.
By the numbers: Airport passengers
Passenger arrivals and departures at both Hopkins and Burke airports have exceeded 2019 numbers, according to Francis, indicating a recovery from the height of the COVID pandemic.
Passenger numbers in 2024 outpaced 2019 numbers by about 200,000, with 10.25 million passengers in 2024 versus 10.04 million in 2019.
