Cleveland officials outline path to close Burke Lakefront Airport, but council raises concerns

Cleveland city leaders are laying out, for the first time, exactly how they could close Burke Lakefront Airport — but not everyone on City Council is on board. During the third in a series of committee hearings, officials from Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's administration walked council members through the regulatory and financial process required to shut down the airport, outlining three possible paths forward. Three paths to closure According to the city, there are three main options: Wait until 2034–2039 for federal and state grant obligations to expire, allowing closure with notice to the FAA Apply for closure through the Federal Aviation Administration, which requires proving a “net benefit to aviation” Seek federal legislation, asking Congress to direct the airport’s closure Each option comes with tradeoffs — including time, cost and uncertainty. If the city waits, it would likely need to operate Burke for more than a decade without additional federal funding, something officials say could be a challenge. "If we work with the FAA foreclosure or a congressionally directed action for closure, then it would provide some more near term clarity on next steps for Burke," Jessica Trivisonno, Deputy Chief of Staff & Chief Strategy Officer for the City of Cleveland told council members. Read: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/cleveland-burke-lakefront-airport-hearings-closing-city-council-concerns-faa-bibb-administration/95-0eb7eead-3a36-443f-affa-751a2b3aa60d