The proposed new Hopkins terminal will rise on the site of the current Smart Parking Garage. Renderings: Courtesy of Corgan
Cleveland Hopkins is back in the hub conversation.
Piloting the news: A new list from industry magazine Simple Flying putsCLE among the top five U.S. airports with hub potential, citing United Airlines' deep roots and its growing roster of non-hub leisure routes.
Reality check: The list is non-scientific and should be read as speculation from an industry watcher, but it does mention macro factors reshaping the airline industry.
Legacy carriers (United, Delta and American) are jockeying for national dominance and responding to pressure from budget carriers like Frontier.
Between the lines: United still maintains crew and maintenance bases at Hopkins, even after de-hubbing in 2014, NEOtrans reports.
And it's still the most popular airline at Hopkins, though Frontier is now a strong number two.
The bottom line: "For many, saying United could soon open a hub in Cleveland is a no-brainer," Simple Flying says.
