How many years did the transformation from a lot of mainline to majority RJ at CLE take? Was it once CO started operating the RJ's or did they wait a while? It seems like just yesterday it was an airport with some decent traffic. Now I look on flight tracker and am simply astounded at the amount of RJ's flying in and out of CLE. Amazing.

[Edited 2004-08-10 19:29:43]

Correct me if I am wrong, but CLE was the first COEX hub to go all-jet.

I can remember flying through CLE in May/June of 1998 and the JungleJets, the few of them then, were running out of 2 or 3 gates on the A concourse.

DesertJets, you are correct. COEx went all jet 1st at CLE. i remember seeing those ERJs on the A concourse. its been awhile since i've seen them there now, but it wouldnt surprise me if they still used that part of the terminal. i see them scattered around the C concourse often now, along with they're own D concourse.


chris

ExpressJet utilized the A gates before concourse D was built. Now they're entirely in D and a few in C. The A gates have been handed over to America West and USA3000.

CLE has always been more of a regional traffic hub than a mainline hub. We still had mega turboprops when I started spotting here in 1997 -- ATRs, Beech 1900s and EMB-120s. The RJs were just starting with E145s.

The EMB-120s were the first to go, followed by the ATRs, as E135s were phased in. The major transition to all-jet occurred in the fall of 2001 -- already planned, but accellerated by the events of 9/11. We lost all B1900 service for a short period (less than 2 years, I think) between when Continental Express dropped them and Continental Connection (CommutAir) picked them back up.

Just a minor correction to N766UA's information -- the A13/A14 gates are also customs gates, so Continental's inbounds from CUN and LGW always park there until completely unloaded. Then they are towed around to Concourse C for their next departure. There are no customs gates on Concourse C, and although B1 is closer, it is too small and cramped to accomodate anything larger than an RJ.


redngold

Isn't A-11 customs? A-14 is USAirways and A-13 doesn't exist.

A13 does exist if you look from the outside; you don't see it from the inside of the terminal because it is an dedicated inbound customs gate. The passengers enter the airport through a jetway to below concourse level, where the customs facility is located. Once they are cleared, they exit onto Concourse A through a door between Gates A6 and A8. This is why you only see inbounds park there.

A14 is a regular gate which can be used as a customs gate as well. This is why inbound international charters usually park there.

If you go to the airport website and look at the map of Concourse A, the gate is located in the gap between A11 and A14. There is an A13 lighted sign on the outside of the concourse right there.


redngold

RedngoldCLE brought it up first, CLE went all jet, now its back to having some prop aircraft. Here is some more data on the routes/ops for the Beech 1900 from CLE:

Today's flights are all on Commutair on the Beech 1900 aircraft:

Toledo, OH Commutair 8669 06:45 AM Arrived
Charleston, WV Commutair 8676 06:52 AM Arrived
Erie, PA Commutair 8749 06:57 AM Arrived
Pittsburgh, PA Commutair 8742 07:50 AM Arrived
Cincinnati, OH Commutair 8819 07:54 AM Arrived
Fort Wayne, IN Commutair 8795 07:58 AM Arrived
South Bend, IN Commutair 8805 07:58 AM Arrived
Cincinnati, OH Commutair 8821 01:34 PM Arrived
South Bend, IN Commutair 8810 01:40 PM Arrived
Pittsburgh, PA Commutair 8744 01:42 PM Arrived
Charleston, WV Commutair 8678 01:45 PM Arrived
Fort Wayne, IN Commutair 8799 01:53 PM Arrived
Flint, MI Commutair 8783 01:59 PM Arrived
Erie, PA Commutair 8751 02:12 PM Arrived
Elmira, NY Commutair 8725 03:06 PM Arrived
Wilkes-Barre, PA Commutair 8711 03:31 PM Arrived
Erie, PA Commutair 8752 05:06 PM Arrived
Charleston, WV Commutair 8680 05:43 PM Arrived
Flint, MI Commutair 8785 05:48 PM Arrived
Fort Wayne, IN Commutair 8803 05:48 PM Arrived
Toledo, OH Commutair 8730 06:09 PM Arrived
South Bend, IN Commutair 8815 07:03 PM Arrived
Pittsburgh, PA Commutair 8745 07:10 PM Arrived
Cincinnati, OH Commutair 8822 07:12 PM Arrived
Toledo, OH Commutair 8669 06:51 AM Scheduled
Erie, PA Commutair 8749 07:04 AM Scheduled
Charleston, WV Commutair 8676 07:07 AM Scheduled
Pittsburgh, PA Commutair 8742 08:00 AM Scheduled
Fort Wayne, IN Commutair 8795 08:18 AM Scheduled
South Bend, IN Commutair 8805 08:21 AM Scheduled
Cincinnati, OH Commutair 8819 08:22 AM Scheduled
Flint, MI Commutair 8724 10:08 AM Scheduled
Pittsburgh, PA Commutair 8750 10:15 AM Scheduled
Toledo, OH Commutair 8675 10:46 AM Scheduled
Cincinnati, OH Commutair 8677 10:48 AM Scheduled
Erie, PA Commutair 8743 10:50 AM

One note, these flights are marketed as "Continental Connection" not Continental Express. You also see these mini-dogs @ FLL.


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