Airports
Cleveland Releases Burke Airport Closure Studies
The studies show declining traffic and other uses for the Lake Erie property
Burke Lakefront Airport on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland
Cleveland's City Council will review new studies examining the potential impacts of the closure of Burke Lakefront Airport. © GRALISTAIR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cleveland, Ohio is continuing its investigation into the possible closing of Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) with the release this week of the results of studies commissioned by the office of Mayor Justin Bibb.

The first, an Airport Layout Narrative Report, focused on the FAA requirements as well as the legal, operational, and financial implications of closing the airport. Due to its current FAA grant assurances—which will not expire until 2036—the airport is committed to remaining open for more than another decade, if the city does not accept any further improvement grants. If the city sought to close the airport sooner, it would still be liable for the repayment of millions of dollars in grants. Another avenue would be seeking congressional help to lobby the FAA for permission to close KBKL.