AIRMALL® Ushers in New Chapter, Enhanced Passenger Experience at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport With Grand Opening

CLEVELAND, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- BAA Cleveland, developer of the new AIRMALL® at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), will officially unveil its two-year, multi-million-dollar transformation of concessions at CLE with a grand opening celebration on Monday, July 26.  Co-hosted by Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the AIRMALL® grand opening celebration will include a VIP reception featuring the Honorable Frank Jackson, mayor of Cleveland; members of the airport management team; Mark Knight, president of BAA USA; and a host of other local elected officials and dignitaries.  Guests will get a closer look at the dramatic improvements that have taken shape at the airport to create the new AIRMALL®, a transformation aimed at generating additional revenue for the airport and enhancing the passenger experience for Cleveland travelers.

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"Thanks to a productive partnership with Ricky Smith, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and the City of Cleveland, BAA Cleveland is immensely proud to officially unveil the new AIRMALL® at CLE," Knight said.  "We have assembled some of the very finest international, national and local brands in a dynamic new retail environment that is sure to please the traveling public.  Moreover, travelers can shop and dine at the airport knowing they will pay 'Regular Mall Prices…Guaranteed.'  It is part of the AIRMALL® promise, and it will be a key ingredient to the program's continued success in Cleveland."  

"Cleveland Hopkins International Airport marks its 85th anniversary this year, and our new concessions program is the latest chapter in a long history of innovation for the airport.  We had the first air traffic control tower, the first ground-to-air radio control and the first airfield lighting system," Smith added.  "The AIRMALL® at CLE will certainly set a new standard for quality in airport concessions.  It has already changed the face of the airport, and passengers have noticed the difference.  Moreover, the program has provided a host of new business opportunities to the local community."

The development of the new AIRMALL® began in 2008 when the City of Cleveland selected BAA USA as the new concessions developer.  Here are some key metrics for the development:

• The new AIRMALL® occupies 76,000 square feet of retail space, nearly doubling the size of the previous concessions program.  
• Travelers can now shop and dine in 55 distinct units that include international, national and regional brands.  This compares to 40 stores and restaurants with the previous concessions program.
• Per passenger spend at CLE (a measure of what the average departing passenger spends during their travels through the airport) has increased from $5.59 when BAA assumed management of the program (February 2008) to $8.77 in 2010 (through May).  This represents an increase of nearly 60 percent.  BAA anticipates that per passenger spend could exceed $10 in the coming years. 
• New regional restaurant concepts in the AIRMALL® include a full-service Great Lakes Brewing Company, a Cleveland original that was established in 1988 as the first microbrewery in the state; Panini's Bar & Grill, a Cleveland favorite known for its signature overstuffed sandwiches that is also locally operated; and The Pub, an Ohio-based restaurant chain offering an upscale, classic pub experience similar to those in Britain.
• The specialty retail program includes an enhanced Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum Store with clothing for men, women and children plus Hall of Fame memorabilia and many gifts and accessories; Swatch, a global watch brand with stylish time pieces for every member of the family; Taxco Sterling, specializing in sterling silver jewelry, 18kt gold jewelry and silver and stone accessories; and I-Tech X-perience, the electronics mecca for people on the go where passengers can test branded electronics right in the store.

The AIRMALL® is also expected to double the current participation rate of local and minority-owned companies, dramatically increase the number of concession jobs and double retail sales figures during the next decade. 

"Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is the gateway to this great city, and at BAA, we believe the AIRMALL® will be an effective ambassador for this region," Knight added.  "It will also serve as fuel for the area's economic engine."  

The invitation-only grand opening VIP reception on Monday, July 26 will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Main Terminal Food Court.  

For more information about the AIRMALL®, visit www.baausa.com.  

About BAA Cleveland

BAA Cleveland, Inc. is the developer and manager of the retail and concessions program at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).  In 2008, BAA entered into a ten-year contract with the City of Cleveland to transform the retail, food and beverage concessions into the AIRMALL® at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, a strategic combination of well-known national brands and high-quality local concepts offered at "Regular Mall Prices…Guaranteed."  BAA Cleveland is a project of BAA USA, the developer and manager of the retail, food and beverage operations at the AIRMALLs® at Pittsburgh International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport (Terminals B and E).  BAA USA is an affiliate of BAA Limited, the world's leading airport company, which owns and operates six UK airports (Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow).  For more information, visit www.airmall.com or www.baausa.com.

SOURCE BAA Cleveland