CLEVELAND — For more than two decades, Aitheras has called Burke Lakefront home. The company is an on-demand aircraft operator whose planes have logged more than 50 million miles from Burke to destinations all over the globe. The company would like to invest and grow here, but it says it simply cannot.
"Aviation companies, like myself, we are in a holding pattern, unsure of what to do, continue to invest," said Aitheras CEO George Katsikis.
And he's not alone; that's why he hosted this meeting of the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership to voice their ongoing concerns about the potential closure of this airport. It comes on the day the Bibb Administration revealed what a reimagined Burke Lakefront could look like with green spaces, ball fields and a potential public golf course.
"By releasing what they call ‘hypothetical concepts,’ it’s clear that the mayor wants to distract from the good being done at the airport—and all without a comprehensive plan,” said Kyle Lewis of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. “And just hours after its release, it’s clear that Cleveland residents aren’t buying it. They know it’s a waste of money while taking away this unique public resource.”
The feeling of the administration is that the aviation businesses here could relocate to other nearby airports. But the folks at Aitheras say medical transport is a large part of what they do, and it's built on proximity to the Clinic and UH.
"This airport serves a very vital role in that and time matters, minutes matter and make a difference," Katsikis said. "Lost Nation, Cuyahoga County, Lorain County, Akron-Canton, for God's sakes or even Hopkins is not a viable true option."
Not an option for the Cleveland Air Show either. If Burke Airport goes away, they say the show will.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't move the air show to another airport in Northeast Ohio due to operational, logistical challenges," said Kim Dell, Executive Director of the Cleveland National Air Show. "There really isn't an ideal location, you wouldn't have the caliber of the airshow that we have here at Burke, i.e., no high-performance jet or jet team like the U.S. Navy Blue Angels."
And a strictly over-the-water air show wouldn't generate the revenue the financially self-sufficient show needs to cover the seven-figure production cost.
"Due to Cleveland's geography and some essential elements, it's really not financially viable or operationally feasible," she said.
Closing Burke would also end the aviation side of Cleveland's Davis Aerospace and Maritime School.
"I mean, when you're talking about moving 55,000 to 65,000 flights out of here to the surrounding airports, the big money places, jets, private owners will definitely take precedent over a small flight school, especially a school that is a Cleveland public school," said Argonaut Founder and CEO Drew Ferguson. "If we lost Burke, we would lose the aviation programs within the city of Cleveland."
Those with vested interest at Burke say this doesn't have to be a binary choice, an either-or option, airport or park space, there's a way to do both. Outlined in a rendering that showed how the land around the runway itself could be reimagined.
"We feel that we can combine the aeronautical use of this property and a recreational use as well, and we're just asking the mayor to come to the table and discuss those options," said the AOPA's Kyle Lewis.
And that's something echoed by a number of Burke stakeholders. A spokesperson for Bibb tells News 5 in a statement:
“Mayor Bibb’s Administration, in partnership with the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation, has been actively engaging stakeholders based at Burke Lakefront Airport and across the region. We are committed to continuing the dialogue and ensure that all voices are heard.
A community engagement process is currently underway, including surveys and neighborhood meetings, with additional opportunities for input planned. City Council will discuss the findings of the report released today at a hearing scheduled for April 15. Our goal is to advance a transparent and thoughtful outcome that delivers long-term value for businesses, residents, and Cleveland taxpayers.”
