More than 50 business, education, and civic leaders in Cleveland, Ohio, have joined with general aviation advocates to lobby to keep Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) open.
Those leaders joined with dozens of residents and other advocates urging the Cleveland City Council to reject Mayor Justin Bibb’s proposal to close the airport.
In letters sent Aug. 4, 2026, the airport advocates argue that KBKL is an “essential community asset, critical to the city’s progress, prosperity, regional connectivity, and workforce opportunity.”
The letters also put out a call for the City Council to hold a hearing on the airport in the near future.
Those voices join others in the general aviation community who have been lobbying for the airport for years, including the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
“NBAA applauds the local residents, business owners, school officials, families and others who recognize that Burke Lakefront Airport is an indispensable economic engine,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Equally important, the airport is a critical incubator for workforce growth in America’s aerospace industry, a key connectivity link for area businesses to cities across and beyond the U.S., a reliever airfield for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (KCLE), and a lifeline for the region’s advanced healthcare operations, including lifesaving medical flights.”
The letters point out that since the start of this year, the City Council has provided four opportunities for airport-closure advocates to present their arguments.
“It is only just and democratic that a similar forum be provided” for those advocating for the airport to be heard, the letter continues.
“Such a hearing would allow constituents and aviation professionals to share their unique perspectives, technical expertise, and vital concerns directly with the council, ensuring a balanced and transparent decision-making process for the future of this critical asset.”
The letters come on the heels of recently released data from the Ohio Department of Transportation, which finds that Burke Lakefront Airport generates $195 million in direct annual economic activity and directly sustains 664 jobs.
The airport also generates significant tax revenue, attracts business investment to Cleveland, and benefits the city in other important ways, according to NBAA officials. For example, the Cleveland National Air Show, staged from KBKL, draws more than 100,000 visitors and millions of dollars to the city each year. Air show organizers have said the show was “purpose-built” for KBKL, maintaining that the show cannot be moved to an alternate location.
“Once an airport is shuttered, it is gone forever, foreclosing opportunities for the businesses that rely on it today, and the potential for it to foster investment and economic growth in the future,” said George Katsikas, president and CEO at Aitheras Aviation Group and a member of the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership. “The highest and best use of this land is its current use: As a world-class aviation facility.”
“Cleveland’s aviation infrastructure is a competitive advantage for the city and region,” Bolen added. “NBAA joins with city residents and businesses in urging the council to pursue an informed, methodical approach as the basis for a balanced, consensus-based plan for Burke Lakefront Airport. A decision of this magnitude impacts not only existing airport users, but also the future of aviation and aerospace in Northeast Ohio.”
Read the letter from Cleveland-area business leaders here.
Read the letter from Cleveland-area students and professionals here.
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