Burke Lakefront Airport: The Key to Cleveland’s

Progress.Prosperity.Job Growth.Regional Connectivity. Workforce Opportunity.

Burke Lakefront Airport is an irreplaceable community asset.

Join Us at the Cleveland National Air Show to Save Burke Lakefront

Our local Cleveland coalition of businesses, aviators, job-creators and educators is fighting to save Burke Lakefront Airport. Come visit us this weekend at the Cleveland National Air Show.

BKL Supports

Jobs for Clevelanders

Local business growth and opportunity

A critical lifeline for those in need

Connectivity for communities in Ohio and beyond

Workforce Opportunity

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Burke Lakefront Airport Empowers Northeast Ohio

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According to the most recent economic impact studies, the airport is an important contributor to Cleveland’s fiscal health, supporting over 650 jobs and nearly $195 million in direct annual economic activity. Like all of the city’s transportation infrastructure, BKL serves as a gateway for high-value tax revenue and corporate investment that directly fuels the downtown economy.

BKL keeps Cleveland connected and competitive, handling 40,000 to 50,000 flights per year, including business aviation, medical flights, flight training and a host of civic services..

Business Connectivity: Companies of all sizes rely on BKL to bring key employees and clients directly into the heart of a forward-looking city. Proposals to shutter the airfield send a stark message that Cleveland is closing its “front door” to local and global business opportunities.

Medical Flights: BKL is the preferred destination – and often, the only option – for organ-transplant flights and critical patient transfers for the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals due to its proximity to University Circle. In life-or-death situations, the 20-minute difference between landing at BKL versus Hopkins or County is the difference between success and tragedy.

Workforce Growth: BKL plays a central role in confronting a national challenge – the severe shortage of pilots and other aviation professionals, which are key to preserving America’s global aviation leadership. The world-class flight-instruction academies at BKL provide the city with a distinct advantage in leadership on a national priority, while helping local students find high-paying aviation careers. Closing BKL means closing off Cleveland’s position as a “classroom” for hundreds of professionals in a global industry.

In addition to serving as the primary reliever airport Cleveland Hopkins International, BKL is a key facility for emergency flights, business aircraft, recreational flying, flight training, postal delivery and other services. 

Efficiency: Without BKL, the increased congestion at Hopkins would lead to longer taxi times, flight delays, and increased operational costs for major airlines.

Safety: Separating lighter, smaller general aviation from heavy commercial airliners is a fundamental tenet of FAA safety standards in busy metropolitan airspace.

The Cleveland National Air Show at BKL is Northeast Ohio’s Labor Day tradition, 

drawing over 100,000 visitors to the city’s hotels and restaurants each year. 

Highlighting a world-class city on the lake. A centerpiece of the city’s Labor Day events and attractions, The Cleveland National Air Show drives an annual economic surge that benefits citizens and businesses across the local area.

Supporting STEM job creation:The Cleveland National Air Show serves as a massive educational platform for the next generation of pilots, mechanics, engineers and other professionals in a high-skill, high-paying workforce.

An air show custom-built for Burke Lakefront: The Cleveland National Air Show is purpose-built for production at Burke Lakefront Airport, given its unique location, runways, infrastructure and other assets. Show organizers have long maintained that  Without BKL’s unique lakeside runways and infrastructure, this world-class event – and the millions of dollars it pours into the city – cannot be moved to an alternate location.

Get Involved

Thank Policymakers for Protecting Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport

Sign the letter to thank policymakers for opposing the closure of Burke Lakefront Airport to protect the Cleveland National Air Show, Ohio jobs, and STEM education.

BKL Voices: Zanesville Aviation

Burke Lakefront Airport is critical to Zanesville Aviation, a charter and fixed-base operator based in Zanesville, Ohio, and the company believes the airport is vital for Cleveland’s economic growth, renowned medical institutions and business travel.

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In the News

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Join the Coalition to Save Burke Lakefront Airport

While previous Cleveland mayors have threatened to close the airport, the current administration is actively lobbying Congress for legislation to bypass long-standing FAA protections and fast-track the decommissioning of the airport by 2029. The administration is also making their case before the Cleveland City Council to close the airport and repurpose the land. This strategic shift represents a direct threat to the national airspace system and sets a dangerous precedent for circumventing federal law to eliminate vital aviation assets.

Lakefront Airport in Action

An irreplaceable community asset

The airport is an important contributor to Cleveland’s fiscal health, supporting over 650 jobs and nearly $195 million in direct annual economic activity.