Cleveland Hopkins International Airport passengers may soon have a guest accompany them throughout the airport – even if the guest isn’t flying.
Beginning in August, guests will be able to apply for the Hopkins Hangout Pass to enter the secure side of the airport, an area normally reserved for ticketed passengers boarding flights, airport officials announced Wednesday.
The passes can be used in a variety of ways, said Megan O’Connell, Assistant Director of Marketing, Communications & Guest Experience.
"If you have an elderly or aging parent or grandparent, and they need to fly out and you want to make sure that they get to their gate safely, that might be a reason,” O’Connell said. “[Or] if you have a child who's flying for the first time, an unaccompanied minor or someone with a disability.”
Passholders will also have access to shops and restaurants within the airport, O’Connell added.
"We have a number of restaurants and retailers here that the general public, or people who live in this area, might not have access to on a daily basis," she said.
Most non-ticketed passengers have been prohibited from these areas of U.S. airports since heightened security measures were established after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Cleveland Hopkins is one of several airports throughout the country that have implemented similar programs in recent years. Others include the Akron-Canton Airport, San Antonio International, Philadelphia International and John Wayne Airport in California.
To obtain a pass, individuals must submit their request no less than 24 hours prior to their visit, but not more than a week in advance, according to O’Connell. Once approved, guests will receive an email with their pass.
Guests will be vetted with the same technology ticketholders are before they board a flight, O’Connell said. The pass does not allow entry through the Central TSA checkpoint, PreCheck or CLEAR lanes.
Passholders are also allowed to bring one personal item—purses or small bags—with them during their visit, which is subject to TSA screening.
The passes will be limited to 100 per day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. but may be subject to change based on demand, O’Connell said.
Guests can apply for the pass starting on Aug. 6, and the program launches on Aug. 11. Identification, whether a U.S passport or a state I.D., is required to apply.
