Businesses and aviation organizations urged Cleveland officials to support new investment at Burke Lakefront Airport during a City Council hearing Wednesday. The Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership (LAPP) said several airport tenants are prepared to invest tens of millions of dollars in their facilities but have been unable to move forward without long-term lease agreements.
The Oct. 7 hearing before the city’s Transportation and Mobility Committee included testimony from Aitheras Aviation, Signature Aviation and Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School. Representatives outlined potential expansions at the airport, which Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has proposed closing by 2029 as part of a broader lakefront redevelopment initiative.
Airport Tenants Outline Investments
Aitheras Aviation founder George Katsikas discussed the airport’s role in transporting organs for transplant patients and proposed developing an air medical campus at Burke. According to Cleveland 19, Katsikas said relocating those operations to other regional airports could affect patient care. Representatives from Signature Aviation and Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School also described expansion plans that have been delayed by lease uncertainty.
“This administration will not extend leases at Burke Airport, doesn’t want to get any investment at Burke Airport, which is mind-boggling to me,” Council Member Michael Polensek said during the hearing, according to an AOPA press release.
Polensek characterized the city’s approach as “demolition by neglect.”
Closure Proposal Faces Opposition
The hearing follows public opposition to the closure proposal from FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Ohio Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted. Cleveland officials have argued that the airport is underused and that redeveloping its approximately 450 acres could expand public lakefront access and generate new economic activity. The city has not formally requested FAA approval to close the airport. Council members took no vote Wednesday.
“We appreciate the Cleveland City Council for holding today’s hearing, and giving local companies and pilots, along with national organizations, the opportunity to speak about the future of Burke Lakefront,” AOPA Great Lakes Regional Manager Kyle Lewis said in the organization’s statement following the meeting.
LAPP is calling for the city to shift its attention toward airport development, although the future of Burke Lakefront and its proposed redevelopment remains unresolved.
City Defends Redevelopment Plans
The Bibb administration has argued that closing Burke Lakefront would open approximately 450 acres of waterfront property for parks, public access and commercial development. According to the city’s redevelopment proposal, the airport recorded a $1.7 million operating deficit in 2025 and has operated at a loss for more than two decades. City officials contend that redeveloping the property could generate additional tax revenue and economic activity while allowing most existing aviation operations to relocate to nearby airports.
A 2026 economic study commissioned by the city examined potential recreational and commercial uses for the property. The proposed concepts include public parks, waterfront trails and privately financed development.
The city has also acknowledged that closing the airport would require federal authorization and a transition plan for existing operators. No final redevelopment plan has been approved.
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