Growing passenger traffic has Cleveland Hopkins International Airport thinking about addressing its chronic parking shortages, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Cleveland’s airport was once a hub for United Airlines and the former Continental Airlines, meaning that many of its travellers were just passing through.

Now, most traffic at the airport originates in Cleveland, and numbers are booming. The airport, which served 7.6 million travellers in 2014, had 9.6 million passengers last year and is expected to accommodate more than ten million in 2019.

A revision to the airport’s Master Plan led to the demolition of its long-term parking lot in 2014, and satellite parking lots have been routinely filled to capacity.

Airport officials are now revisiting the planning document with an eye on addressing the parking issues along with creating a ground transportation center and examining concourse layouts and the number of gates available to airlines.

Consultants will work with the airport to develop a new Master Plan that anticipates growth needs over the next decade, at a cost of around $4.5 million.

Last year Cleveland airport was named the most improved airport in North America in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards.

clevelandairport.com