Cleveland mayor proposes closing Burke Lakefront Airport by 2029 amid stakeholder

Mayor Justin Bibb has called for Burke Lakefront Airport to close by 2029 and the City Council Transportation and Mobility Committee held a hearing where stakeholders argued for keeping the airport open.

Stakeholders say Burke supports businesses and medical flights, while airlines operating from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport oppose the closure; the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership reports 664 employees, a $58.5 million payroll, a $194.8 million economic impact, about 50,000 operations annually and $1.3 million in revenue, and notes it has not received grants since 2019. Aitheras Aviation warned that moving its organ donor flights would compromise life‑and‑death outcomes.