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Port Control updates committee on terminals: restrooms, central checkpoint, parking and new flights
Summary
Port Control briefed the committee on completion of restroom refresh work, plans to expand the central TSA checkpoint, parking plans tied to a hotel demolition site, a Terminal Modernization & Development Program update scheduled for May 28, and several new and expanded routes for the upcoming travel season.
Port Control staff provided a broad operational update to the Transportation & Mobility Committee covering passenger volumes, terminal projects, parking, and route changes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The director said passenger traffic was flat through the first two months of the year but that March appeared strong because of a late Easter/spring break. Staff reported completion of a refreshed restroom set in Concourse C and progress on a fifth restroom set near Concourse A that staff expect to complete in roughly 90 days, targeted around the July Fourth holiday.
On security, staff described plans to expand the central TSA checkpoint from two lanes to four lanes and to add queuing space and newly located restrooms adjacent to that checkpoint. Construction is expected to begin mid-year and take six to seven months; staff said they will try to open the expanded checkpoint and restrooms by the Christmas holiday, with an optimistic target of earlier next year. Staff emphasized there is no intent to close dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes during construction, though access patterns may change temporarily.
Regarding parking, staff said the demolition of a hotel near the airport will free space for future parking expansion but that the site will be used for other Temporary Master Development Plan (TMDP) needs before parking is added. Staff said a broader TMDP update will be presented to the committee on May 28.
Staff also listed forthcoming service changes: Delta plans to add a ninth daily frequency to Atlanta and another frequency to Detroit; United plans increased frequency to Chicago (up to seven peak flights); Aer Lingus will increase service to Dublin from four to six times weekly through October; and Frontier plans new service to Boston and Nashville starting next month.
Committee members asked about long security lines reported in local media and whether modernization projects will reduce missed flights; staff said expanding checkpoint lanes will increase processing capacity but that the checkpoint construction will not help this summer because it will be under construction. Staff reiterated the long-term Terminal Modernization & Development Program aims to consolidate multiple checkpoints into a single, larger checkpoint to increase hourly processing capacity and reduce passenger confusion. Staff encouraged passengers to arrive early during peak periods.
