CLEVELAND — Work will likely begin this summer as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport plans to expand TSA lanes at central checkpoints to ease congestion.
Mid-afternoon travel through TSA at Cleveland Hopkins usually comes with only a few headaches, but travelers like Michelle Walkley of Brecksville come with a plan.
"We try and arrive early and we have our PreCheck so we're all set to go," she said.
TSA PreCheck can help speed the process, especially in the mornings when Anthony Spain of Hudson will tell you lines are at their longest when patience is at its shortest.
"I know I've been here a couple of times, and there's been massive lines," Spain said.
To help ease the congestion, Cleveland Hopkins will expand the airport's central security checkpoint. It's a $4.25 million project that will double the number of lanes in the area that currently handles the TSA PreCheck and those who have signed up for CLEAR status, which uses biometric scanning.
"It seems everybody's TSA PreCheck now," Akron resident Rene Zumpano said. "My husband and I signed up for that CLEAR, so that's a little quicker."
Plans are still being finalized, so the bad news for travelers is that construction on the expansion will not likely start until this summer. The extra access will come sometime after the busy holiday travel season in early 2026.
Last year, Cleveland Hopkins saw nearly 10.2 million customers, the most since 2008. Back then, though, we were still a Continental hub, meaning many of those travelers were passing through Cleveland rather than originating their flights here. As a result, there wasn't the volume funneling through the TSA.
That's why Zumpano said she's happy to see the expansion of the TSA lanes; she says it's got to be a two-pronged solution.
"As long as they expand the people working up there too," she said.
Any fix is ultimately short-term, and plans are in motion for the airport's overall $3 billion expansion plan, which will position the airport for growth well into the future.
