An overview of CLE in 2008 as seen from 1,200 to 1,600 feet. Photo: Ed Jones – OPShots.net Contributor//
Cleveland Crain’s Business – Passenger traffic at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport continues to rebound.
More than 9.1 million passengers traveled through the city of Cleveland-owned airport in 2017, an 8.5% increase over the 8.4 million passengers using the airport in 2016.
In December alone, 2017 passenger traffic was up 14.7%.
This is the first time passenger volume at Cleveland Hopkins reached 9 million travelers since 2013, the last year United Airlines operated a hub there. At that time, a large chunk of the traffic was connecting flight traffic, with passengers only changing planes at the airport. After that “dehubbing,” Hopkins lost 17% of its passenger volume.
In 2017, Hopkins was either the origin or final destination (O&D) of 96% of passengers, the highest O&D traffic at the airport, according to an airport news release issued Friday morning, Jan. 19.
“The growth in passengers flying to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a testament to the airport’s focus on growing air service and the quality of the traveling public’s experience,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson in the release. “It is also evidence of our region’s increasing reputation as a key destination for regional, national and international travel.”
In addition, Hopkins was a strong performer in cargo shipment, according to an analysis from Forbes.
Ken Roberts, founder of a trade data analysis firm called WorldCity, uses the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau to identify the 10 U.S. airports with the strongest trade growth this year.
From the story:
The top 10 airports are in nine states, with only California having two. The airports are on the East Coast (Atlanta and Miami), the “central” part of the country (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Salt Lake City), and the West Coast (Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco and Los Angeles). Three types of exports appear most often as drivers of the growth: Aircraft and aviation-related parts, computer chips and blood fractions, including plasma and white blood cells.
All told, there are more than 450 of these “ports” for international goods to enter and exit the United States. The top total U.S. exports are up 6.13% through the first 10 months of the year.
He notes that exports out of Cleveland are vastly exceeding that pace, with growth of 15.96% for the first 10 months of 2017.
Here’s Roberts’ analysis of Hopkins, which he writes has seen exports grow $3.64 billion this year compared with the like period of 2016:
• Civilian aircraft and parts rose 29.01% compared to last year to $4.86 billion.
• Computer chips rose 7.21% to $2.42 billion.
• Cell phones rose 11.99% to $1.34 billion.
• Plasma, other blood “fractions” and vaccines rose 182.8% to $1.18 billion.
• Orthopedic appliances rose 7.89% to $1.09 billion.
via – Cleveland Hopkins passenger volume tops 9 million for the first time since 2013 and Cleveland Hopkins ranks among 10 fastest-growing U.S. airports for exports this year
