I took the flight from Austin today (4/7). FWIW it was 90%+ full.

That's good to hear. I have family on the northeast side of San Antonio and it only takes about 45-50 minutes to drive to AUS. A direct to SAT would be ideal. But, CLE-AUS is still better than a layover.

That's good to hear. I have family on the northeast side of San Antonio and it only takes about 45-50 minutes to drive to AUS. A direct to SAT would be ideal. But, CLE-AUS is still better than a layover.

 

There used to be a direct CLE-SAT, but it was on a RJ 135--brutal for 3.5 hours!  I used to get off it with a backache and partially deaf.

I took the flight from Austin today (4/7). FWIW it was 90%+ full.

 

I flew a United flight on 4/8 from Denver to Cleveland. It was completely full (overbooked, even, with several on standby). Luckily, there were no parallels between this flight and that Chicago-Louisville one.

The first American Airlines signage in concourse C is now up on behind the desk at gate C3.. And construction activity down through (at least) C11

^I'm hopeful that AA's move will trigger some new service announcements.  CLE lacks service to 2 of AA's hubs, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

^I'm hopeful that AA's move will trigger some new service announcements.  CLE lacks service to 2 of AA's hubs, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

 

That would be wonderful.  I'd love to see some competition for United on their LAX route.

^I'm hopeful that AA's move will trigger some new service announcements.  CLE lacks service to 2 of AA's hubs, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

 

I would hope AA would consider bringing the PHX route back.  US Airways ran it for a while, and I heard they had pretty decent load factors, but wanted to redeploy their fleet elsewhere after the merger.  Since Southwest is the only one with year round daily service to Phoenix, it definitely doesn't seem underserved.

 

Not sure about LA; since Spirit does run a daily flight, AA may be reluctant to get back into the mix, since it would surely require a mainline aircraft.  I often wonder which carrier would be represented if another nonstop flight to LA happened since all of the carriers have larger operations there.

Frontier also serves Phoenix.  I never understood why Delta does have a cleveland to salt lake or Seattle.  Those are hubs for them.  I could understand minny replacing functionality for Seattle, but there is really no gateway to the west for delta without going all the way to Minnesota . I guess Detroit, but I feel Salt Lake could certainly sell like united can for Denver . Also miss the Indianapolis delta flight

Frontier also serves Phoenix.  I never understood why Delta does have a cleveland to salt lake or Seattle.  Those are hubs for them.  I could understand minny replacing functionality for Seattle, but there is really no gateway to the west for delta without going all the way to Minnesota . I guess Detroit, but I feel Salt Lake could certainly sell like united can for Denver . Also miss the Indianapolis delta flight

 

They must think they can connect to all of their potential destinations through MSP and ATL.

 

Frontier does serve PHX, but isn't it seasonal and/or non-daily?

Not sure about LA; since Spirit does run a daily flight, AA may be reluctant to get back into the mix, since it would surely require a mainline aircraft.  I often wonder which carrier would be represented if another nonstop flight to LA happened since all of the carriers have larger operations there.

 

AA's interest in CLE-LAX would be for transpac feeder traffic; plus it's a busy route - traffic was almost 1,000 a day last summer.  I doubt AA will fly anything new immediately - it's too late for this summer. Maybe something will happen next spring.

Hung out at bar symon tonight. A huge upgrade in terms of food, drink and vibe.  When American moves over to C, C will definitely have a little of that continental hub energy back. i think the new guy in charge of Hopkins definitely sees some things in terms of in house changes to make the experience better.  I know he has a lot of experience s in the aviation consulting industry, it will be very interesting to see if he can pull in addition routes.  Still waiting on more JetBlue flights!

Hung out at bar symon tonight. A huge upgrade in terms of food, drink and vibe.  When American moves over to C, C will definitely have a little of that continental hub energy back. i think the new guy in charge of Hopkins definitely sees some things in terms of in house changes to make the experience better.  I know he has a lot of experience s in the aviation consulting industry, it will be very interesting to see if he can pull in addition routes.  Still waiting on more JetBlue flights!

 

I ate lunch there one day last week and the place was filled with airport employees, including Fred Szabo.  Definitely an upgrade from Panini.

From CLE Facebook post today (that's lots of gates for AA - 7 in C... More than previously stated?):

 

"Attention American Airlines passengers!  AA will begin moving their operations from Concourse A to Concourse C at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at midnight tonight.

 

The new gates they will be using are C2, C3, C4, C5, C8, C10 and C14. They will however remain at gates A1 and A3 as they transition."

Still waiting on more JetBlue flights!

 

I'd bet money that CLE will get a route to JFK from JetBlue in the next 12 months.  With United pulling out of there, I didn't notice much (if any) of a capacity increase to there.  Plus it's all on small regional jets, whereas I think CLE could fill a E190 at least once a day if not more.

http://fox6now.com/2017/05/18/southwest-launches-new-nonstop-flights-from-milwaukee-to-nashville-cleveland/

 

Southwest Airlines announces new nonstop service between Cleveland and Milwaukee. Two daily departures, begins Saturday November 4th.

interesting.  I wonder if United will retire their Milwaukee route.

interesting.  I wonder if United will retire their Milwaukee route.

 

I think they will, like they did with St. Louis when Southwest entered the route.

Feom Susan Glaser - Cleveland.com - According to the airport:

 

-- In 2016, Hopkins served 8.42 million passengers, including 7.92 million who started or ended their trip in Cleveland.

 

-- In 2011, the airport served 9.18 million passengers, including 5.96 million who started or ended their trip in Cleveland

Feom Susan Glaser - Cleveland.com - According to the airport:

 

-- In 2016, Hopkins served 8.42 million passengers, including 7.92 million who started or ended their trip in Cleveland.

 

-- In 2011, the airport served 9.18 million passengers, including 5.96 million who started or ended their trip in Cleveland

 

interesting.  more lower fares and more people willing to come to CLE to have their flight originate combined with our huge year of tourism.  I guess thats a good sign, especially if you can get that 8.42 mill back above 9

I guess thats a good sign, especially if you can get that 8.42 mill back above 9

 

9 million is probably doable. 10 million would require bringing back some connecting traffic. Who might do that? Not the ultra low-cost carriers, connecting traffic is an expensive operation, which thye avoid. I see only two possibilities: Southwest or American.  Southwest could double the size of their current operation without expanding their facilities or adding many staff. They are proceeding in that direction, but very slowly, being up about 50% since UA left. It's not hard seeing Southwest grow at CLE to 40-50 daily flights, a mini-hub.

 

American is a tougher case to make. It would require the Cleveland Clinic to say, "I've got a hospital in Abu Dhabi and I'm building one in London. Give me a non-stop to London with a good connection on your partner British to the Gulf and I'll guarantee the purchase of $X million in tickets." If AA added a flight to London, they might well want to add some feed to it from cities lacking European service. Indications they might do it: AA just acquired the old Continental wide-body gates and the adjacent common use (potential expansion) gates match their own equipment minus only the logo. Another reason AA might do it: they are more or less locked into perpetual number 2 in Chicago and need to expand somewhere. Doing it in CLE would be a finger in the eye of UA which just stole it's COO from them.  On the other hand, a reason they might not: they just walked away from being a strong #2 in PIT, where a similar scenario would be possible.

CLE has won the nod to host Airport Council International-North America JumpStart meeting at the Renaissance Hotel.  It's a three-day event next JUne that draws about 400 people representing airports and airlines.  Called speed-dating for air service, the event promotes new air routes.  New routes or not, it's an occasion to promote the city and the airport to people who may not know Cleveland well if at all.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170608/NEWS/170609834/cleveland-seeks-to-host-air-service-speed-dating-conference

 

Has cleveland actually gotten the conference? or are they just seeking to host it?

 

^ CLE has locked it up.  The Crain's write-up was confusing.  It's already being advertised by ACI-NA and Marriott

Southwest is adding weekend service to Fort Myers.

 

interesting.  I wonder if United will retire their Milwaukee route.

 

I think they will, like they did with St. Louis when Southwest entered the route.

 

United is price matching Southwest on Milwaukee. Not leaving without a fight, unlike St. Louis.

 

I guess thats a good sign, especially if you can get that 8.42 mill back above 9

 

9 million is probably doable. 10 million would require bringing back some connecting traffic. Who might do that? Not the ultra low-cost carriers, connecting traffic is an expensive operation, which thye avoid. I see only two possibilities: Southwest or American.  Southwest could double the size of their current operation without expanding their facilities or adding many staff. They are proceeding in that direction, but very slowly, being up about 50% since UA left. It's not hard seeing Southwest grow at CLE to 40-50 daily flights, a mini-hub.

 

American is a tougher case to make. It would require the Cleveland Clinic to say, "I've got a hospital in Abu Dhabi and I'm building one in London. Give me a non-stop to London with a good connection on your partner British to the Gulf and I'll guarantee the purchase of $X million in tickets." If AA added a flight to London, they might well want to add some feed to it from cities lacking European service. Indications they might do it: AA just acquired the old Continental wide-body gates and the adjacent common use (potential expansion) gates match their own equipment minus only the logo. Another reason AA might do it: they are more or less locked into perpetual number 2 in Chicago and need to expand somewhere. Doing it in CLE would be a finger in the eye of UA which just stole it's COO from them.  On the other hand, a reason they might not: they just walked away from being a strong #2 in PIT, where a similar scenario would be possible.

 

I don't see American doing this at CLE. The Southwest expansion looks way more reasonable and may already be in the works with the new routes announced since the CLE/Canton-Akron "merger" of operations.

^hey thats fine.  Multiple routes to Milwaukee or any destination are fine with me. Another flight to Florida :/.  I wish Clevelanders would create demand to other places than Florida.

I flew out of Pittsburgh for the first time last night, and I was amazed at that airport compared to Hopkins. Not just the physical appears as I could look beyond that, but the international flight options. I was flying on Wow to Iceland, the flight a gate over was a Delta flight heading to Paris and across the walk way was a Condor flight going to Frankfurt. I was amazed, I guess I never really knew the amount of European options that were offered at Pitt as I typically always fly from CLE.

 

Although we have a very dynamic routes to the West Coast, why don't more international carriers look at CLE? Northeast Ohio has a higher population than that of the Pittsburgh area. Is it just the lack of leadership that has represented CLE in the past? And do you think that will change with the shift of leadership at the airport in recent months?

I think Pittsburgh just started the WOW flight this summer and maybe even the Condor flight.  I think those boiled down to the carrier picking a location out of multiple (including CLE).  Cleveland is just really finishing its renovations, with AA moving to concourse A. I suspect it looks a lot better than it did a year ago when they were determining where to fly to in this region.  We have also gotten new leadership in that time, and to answer your question he is publicly stating that transatlantic service is a priority...so let's see if he can deliver. Going to take time i think to improve perception and years of looking bad. I actually think CLE looks good lately, at least relative to some other places I see.  Carpet in an airport is absolutely unacceptable and disgusting, yet there is Nashville and Orlando and probably others not updating their floors for probably two decades. Gross. Cleveland has been working to modernize and i think has done well

I'll take crappy carpets if we can get some damn international flights again. Get met London-Heathrow, Dublin/Shannon AND Frankfurt!

Speaking of which--did anyone see the Air France A340 landing at Hopkins the other night?  I saw it on approach over Edgewater.  Must have been either a medical emergency, or a charter from some Saudi family. 

 

Edit:  I checked on Flight Aware--looks like it was diverted from Detroit.  Probably weather with a fuel stop in the CLE. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFR378/history/20170622/1424Z/LFPG/KCLE

 

 

Hopkins charges an arm and a leg for landing fees compared to other airports around the country and the ROI is just awful. Look at the Customs facility alone. Not only does the Port charge a high amount, Hopkins holds a higher debt average than most other facilities so they can't really lower the costs to attract more business. It's been mismanaged in so many ways over the years it just can't compete with Pittsburgh or the planned upgrades at Columbus. Look what Cincy/Northern Kentucky did with Amazon in order to offset costs with the drawdown of Delta hub there! Sadly, that's a pipe-dream for a place like Hopkins.

 

It's not like this is a secret either, most in the industry know how dysfunctional Hopkins is. It's going to be very hard to get Transatlantic back with so many modern ports of arrival into the US. It is what it is.

 

 

most in the industry know how dysfunctional Hopkins is.

 

CLE should file its 2016 financials in a couple of weeks. 2015 was greatly improved over 2014; we'll see how they do this time. 

 

The fact that passenger counts have rebounded so well after UA's departure means that Passenger Facility Charge income is booming. Also costs are down since not a lot of construction is going on now.  Last year they took the debt down about $35 million. If they do so again this year, it will start to make a dent in the total - enough to support construction of a better FIS. I don't think things are nearly as bleak as you make them seem.

most in the industry know how dysfunctional Hopkins is.

 

CLE should file its 2016 financials in a couple of weeks. 2015 was greatly improved over 2014; we'll see how they do this time. 

 

The fact that passenger counts have rebounded so well after UA's departure means that Passenger Facility Charge income is booming. Also costs are down since not a lot of construction is going on now.  Last year they took the debt down about $35 million. If they do so again this year, it will start to make a dent in the total - enough to support construction of a better FIS. I don't think things are nearly as bleak as you make them seem.

 

In context to this discussion: If it's not that bleak, how many international carriers have moved in since Continental ended service to Europe?

 

AFAIK they haven't lowered the landing fees despite the better financials. Also, the financials are based on United paying for gate space they no longer use. Once that lease is up a major funding source goes away. It's down the road but it is there and AFAIK there is no concrete plan for filling that gap. And when that source goes away landing fees will go through the roof for a really dated facility.

 

I know first hand that's why Spirit started duplicate service from Akron-Canton. Costs are much cheaper there. The want to have a second station set up there so if CLE raises rates or the competitive aviation structure in the region changes (like Frontier failing) they can walk.

 

As for mismanagement go look way upthread and see where former director Mok was not collecting fees from vendors back in the Continental hub days. Literally ignoring one source of income while charging one of the highest landing fees in the nation at the time.  That's just embarrassing. People in the industry know this and are very skeptical Hopkins is a better run facility now.

^  I'm not saying they're perfect, but they're better than they were.  I think the new director is much more responsive to complaints than any of his predecessors - whether he solves them is another matter, but he's trying.

 

Until the new director arrived, the official position was "we don't need international"; all we need is more domestic. That wasn't just the airport; it was orgs like Team NEO and DCA. (Idiots on this topic, if you don't mind my saying so.)  That position has changed.

 

CLE does have a lot of debt and not much to show for it - a dated and aging facility. A good bit of the debt is associated with Concourse D, now empty; CO/UA guaranteed that debt, and they are the reason it's empty. Why not make UA pay for it?

 

I'm an optimist. CLE has its problems but it's no LaGuardia. It can be fixed. 

^  I'm not saying they're perfect, but they're better than they were.  I think the new director is much more responsive to complaints than any of his predecessors - whether he solves them is another matter, but he's trying.

 

Until the new director arrived, the official position was "we don't need international"; all we need is more domestic. That wasn't just the airport; it was orgs like Team NEO and DCA. (Idiots on this topic, if you don't mind my saying so.)  That position has changed.

 

CLE does have a lot of debt and not much to show for it - a dated and aging facility. A good bit of the debt is associated with Concourse D, now empty; CO/UA guaranteed that debt, and they are the reason it's empty. Why not make UA pay for it?

 

I'm an optimist. CLE has its problems but it's no LaGuardia. It can be fixed. 

 

It's fine to be an optimist. I'm not being a pessimist though. This is just a current assessment of what's going on.

 

LaGuardia is being transformed into something modern as we speak. They won't be comparable airports in 2021.

 

 

Condor and WOW fly out of Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh literally pays them to. Same was true for Delta's Paris service for several years.

Condor and WOW fly out of Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh literally pays them to. Same was true for Delta's Paris service for several years.

 

What aircraft was Delta operating on that PIT-CDG route? 

 

I know from my experience going back and forth to Europe many times a year from CLE, back when we had the CLE-LGW route I often skipped it because the connections to the rest of Europe weren't that great, and they were flying 2 class 757's with regular domestic first class seats (no lie-flat pod).  For me it works out better to take a quick hop to ORD or EWR and get a lie-flat seat for the overnight to the UK or elsewhere. 

What aircraft was Delta operating on that PIT-CDG route? 

 

Boeing 757-200

 

Condor and WOW fly out of Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh literally pays them to. Same was true for Delta's Paris service for several years.

 

I never understand this argument.

 

Yeah, they pay for service. So what? They have service. It's not like the folks running Hopkins are getting offers for free transatlantic service and are turning it down.

 

Cleveland is really behind the eight ball compared to Pittsburgh because their facility costs are lower and the airport provides a better overall arrivals experience. So Hopkins has to increase incentives to a competing airline well beyond what Allegheny County offers just to make it a fair fight.

^Do you think the 50 people on Cleveland city council really put much thought into any of this?  It would seem the airport is just a patronage gig in particular for plow truck drivers but who knows what else.

I never understand this argument.

 

Yeah, they pay for service. So what? They have service. It's not like the folks running Hopkins are getting offers for free transatlantic service and are turning it down.

 

Cleveland is really behind the eight ball compared to Pittsburgh because their facility costs are lower and the airport provides a better overall arrivals experience. So Hopkins has to increase incentives to a competing airline well beyond what Allegheny County offers just to make it a fair fight.

 

I'm not making an argument, I'm providing part of the answer to:

 

Although we have a very dynamic routes to the West Coast, why don't more international carriers look at CLE? Northeast Ohio has a higher population than that of the Pittsburgh area. Is it just the lack of leadership that has represented CLE in the past? And do you think that will change with the shift of leadership at the airport in recent months?

 

If people rather have transatlantic flights than a giant chandelier at Playhouse square or a pedestrian bridge from the mall to the lakefefront, can't say I'd disagree. But it's not like international carriers are choosing Pittsburgh over Cleveland just because of landing fees and ordinary facility management.

I never understand this argument.

 

Yeah, they pay for service. So what? They have service. It's not like the folks running Hopkins are getting offers for free transatlantic service and are turning it down.

 

Cleveland is really behind the eight ball compared to Pittsburgh because their facility costs are lower and the airport provides a better overall arrivals experience. So Hopkins has to increase incentives to a competing airline well beyond what Allegheny County offers just to make it a fair fight.

 

I'm not making an argument, I'm providing part of the answer to:

 

Although we have a very dynamic routes to the West Coast, why don't more international carriers look at CLE? Northeast Ohio has a higher population than that of the Pittsburgh area. Is it just the lack of leadership that has represented CLE in the past? And do you think that will change with the shift of leadership at the airport in recent months?

 

If people rather have transatlantic flights than a giant chandelier at Playhouse square or a pedestrian bridge from the mall to the lakefefront, can't say I'd disagree. But it's not like international carriers are choosing Pittsburgh over Cleveland just because of landing fees and ordinary facility management.

 

Gotcha.

 

Lower landing fees are a real cost saving incentive for all intl/domestic airlines.

 

Quality of the facility may not be quite as important but it hard to believe airlines wouldn't question why Pittsburgh is creating a better arrivals experience while offering lower costs.

A good bit of the debt is associated with Concourse D, now empty; CO/UA guaranteed that debt, and they are the reason it's empty. Why not make UA pay for it?

 

My understanding was that UA/CO was responsible for paying that debt (or said differently, responsible for paying rent on Concourse D until the debt was retired).  Anyone know for sure?

Condor and WOW fly out of Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh literally pays them to. Same was true for Delta's Paris service for several years.

 

Every second tier city pays one way or another for the initial couple of years of European service. Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Baltimore, New Orleans, etc. Sometimes it's ticket sales guarantees, sometimes it's promotion expenses, sometimes it's profit guarantees, almost always it's waived airport landing and rental fees.  For example, PIT put up $800K for Wow and won; CLE offered $400K and lost. A lesson learned we hope.

A good bit of the debt is associated with Concourse D, now empty; CO/UA guaranteed that debt, and they are the reason it's empty. Why not make UA pay for it?

 

My understanding was that UA/CO was responsible for paying that debt (or said differently, responsible for paying rent on Concourse D until the debt was retired).  Anyone know for sure?

 

Per a 2016 Cleveland.com story noting the extension of lease on 14 gates and the United Club - through 2029 - there was this: United is still on the hook for paying off the outstanding debt on the $110-million concourse; it should be paid off in 2029."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2016/03/united_airlines_reduces_gate_o.html

 

Another story from WKYC says United is paying $1M+/month to not use D...

 

http://www.wkyc.com/money/business/as-cleveland-pockets-millions-for-closed-concourse-d-travelers-look-for-better-options/351754256

Condor and WOW fly out of Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh literally pays them to. Same was true for Delta's Paris service for several years.

 

Every second tier city pays one way or another for the initial couple of years of European service. Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Baltimore, New Orleans, etc. Sometimes it's ticket sales guarantees, sometimes it's promotion expenses, sometimes it's profit guarantees, almost always it's waived airport landing and rental fees.  For example, PIT put up $800K for Wow and won; CLE offered $400K and lost. A lesson learned we hope.

 

I don't think the city can offer incentives other Airport Authorities have. Does the city or the business community care? Looking at what happened with WOW!, I'd say not really. Maybe as the Clinic grows and demand increases it can offer a large subsidy itself. I still say the airport would be run better through a regional structure than the city of Cleveland. Include Akron-Canton and put together a package as a region. It's how most other major airports are run now.

 

Also, I have a strong feeling that if CLE had offered $800K or even $1M they would have lost because of the existing cost structure at Hopkins. Behind the eight ball.

I don't think the city can offer incentives other Airport Authorities have. Does the city or the business community care? ...  I still say the airport would be run better through a regional structure than the city of Cleveland. Include Akron-Canton and put together a package as a region. It's how most other major airports are run now.

 

If they don't care, they should. Foreign tourism is very profitable for a city. A wise old man whose name I forget (maybe George Condon) said Cleveland will never give up CLE willingly to a regional authority. The airport pays the city more than it costs and is a large patronage job pool.

Mayor Barry looks at privatizing Nashville airport to generate transit funds

Joey Garrison and Nate Rau , The Tennessean Published 2:13 p.m. CT June 26, 2017

 

Mayor Megan Barry's administration is exploring privatizing the operations of the city-owned Nashville International Airport to an outside management company to generate funding for mass transit in Middle Tennessee.

 

The mayor's office confirmed hearing a presentation in May from representatives of Oaktree Capital Management, a California-based investment firm that has also made bids to run government-owned airports in other cities.

 

Barry's Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling downplayed the meeting as "preliminary," but he did say the privatization of the Nashville International Airport is something the city is looking at to help fund a $6 billion proposed transit system in the region.

 

Under the arrangement, a private company would pay Metro to enter into a long-term lease for the airport's operations.

 

Although no deal is on the table, Riebeling estimated a transaction could generate in the "low billions" for transit in Nashville.

 

MORE:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/06/26/mayor-barry-looks-privatizing-nashville-airport-generate-transit-funds/429000001/

Mayor Barry looks at privatizing Nashville airport to generate transit funds

Joey Garrison and Nate Rau , The Tennessean Published 2:13 p.m. CT June 26, 2017

 

Mayor Megan Barry's administration is exploring privatizing the operations of the city-owned Nashville International Airport to an outside management company to generate funding for mass transit in Middle Tennessee.

 

The mayor's office confirmed hearing a presentation in May from representatives of Oaktree Capital Management, a California-based investment firm that has also made bids to run government-owned airports in other cities.

 

Barry's Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling downplayed the meeting as "preliminary," but he did say the privatization of the Nashville International Airport is something the city is looking at to help fund a $6 billion proposed transit system in the region.

 

Under the arrangement, a private company would pay Metro to enter into a long-term lease for the airport's operations.

 

Although no deal is on the table, Riebeling estimated a transaction could generate in the "low billions" for transit in Nashville.

 

MORE:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/06/26/mayor-barry-looks-privatizing-nashville-airport-generate-transit-funds/429000001/

 

Ken, you should post this in another thread. This is an interesting proposal but the city is not that forward thinking in aviation or mass transit. They'll worry about the Hopkins funding gap of 2029 starting in November of 2028.  :-D

I don't think the city can offer incentives other Airport Authorities have. Does the city or the business community care? ...  I still say the airport would be run better through a regional structure than the city of Cleveland. Include Akron-Canton and put together a package as a region. It's how most other major airports are run now.

 

If they don't care, they should. Foreign tourism is very profitable for a city. A wise old man whose name I forget (maybe George Condon) said Cleveland will never give up CLE willingly to a regional authority. The airport pays the city more than it costs and is a large patronage job pool.

 

That patronage job pool could come back to haunt them--like the snowplow driver that lead a team of plows onto an active runway last year. No one was hurt this time, thankfully, but IMO these kinds of jobs are not where you place someone who knows a politician--you hire the best possible candidate. 

I've posted it in the two most relevant threads -- this one and the NE Ohio transit future thread. If your elected leaders aren't so forward thinking, then change your leaders. If your electorate isn't so informed, then inform them.