A DRIVER was left fuming after his $50,000-rated Dodge disappeared from an airport parking garage.
Michael Lopez of North Canton, Ohio, parked his white 2021 Dodge Challenger at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
An Ohio man has been left devastated as his Dodge Challenger is stolen from Cleveland airport parking garage[/caption]
Thieves outsmarted airport security by stealing a $50,000-rated muscle car and simply driving off[/caption]
But according to a report by Local 12, Lopez was stunned when thieves “just drove off with” the muscle car after returning from a business trip.
Lopez said he wandered around the parking garage, believing he had forgotten where he parked.
But after speaking to airport security, he was shown proof that the Challenger was stolen.
“It seems like pros took it,” Lopez said.
“They got into it without smashing windows or anything. They just drove off with it.”
Understandably, he was left furious that something like this could happen at a busy airport – believing the lot was a secure place to leave his beloved vehicle.
“I was really taken aback, it’s fairly expensive to park there,” Lopez added.
“I thought it was pretty secure, because the parking garage is attached to the actual terminal.
“They don’t have any live video. But they have a camera that takes pictures of cars as they exit through the parking garage, and they had a photo of it.
“It somehow registered the license plate number, and they knew pretty immediately my car had exited on Wednesday at 8:12 pm.”
Bizarrely, the thieves decided to pay the fee to leave the lot.
He added: “I guess when you steal a car worth $50,000, paying the $100 or so for the parking fee is not a bad deal or something.”
Worse still, when Lopez asked the airport if they would provide any assistance, he said they pointed to a sign that read “park at your own risk.”
Cleveland Police Dashboard has claimed that at least 14 vehicles had been stolen from Cleveland Hopkins Airport since January 1, 2025.
This has left Lopez with another problem, as he still owes $43,000 on the Challenger – which had around 10,000 miles on the clock – telling reporters he still lives in hope that the car will show up somewhere.
ROCK AND HARD PLACE
Elsewhere, another fuming driver has been stuck with a Jeep that he cannot drive – after a natural disaster left it unrepairable.
His finance company claims he owed them thousands of dollars, preventing him from buying a new vehicle.
The driver, Howard Welch, is still without a vehicle after the devastating Hurricane Helene flooded his Jeep, as reported by NBC affiliate WFLA.
“The storm brought catastrophic inland flooding, extreme winds, deadly storm surge, and numerous tornadoes that devastated portions of the southeastern United States and southern Appalachians,” as stated by the National Hurricane Center.
“Helene is responsible for at least 250 fatalities in the United States (including at least 176 direct deaths), making it the
deadliest hurricane in the contiguous U.S. since Katrina in 2005,” the agency reported.
Despite not being able to drive his Jeep for the last nine months, Welch’s finance company has started sending him bills again.
The global race for flying taxis
THE global race for flying taxis, or urban air mobility (UAM), is highly competitive, with numerous companies developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and related technologies.
The competition is driving rapid advancements in the field, and many players aim to launch commercial operations within the next few years.
As well as Wisk Aero, here are some of the prominent players in this space:
JOBY AVIATION – Santa Cruz, California, USA: Joby Aviation is one of the leading companies in the eVTOL space. It has received significant investment from Toyota and has partnered with Uber. Joby aims to launch an aerial ridesharing service.
VOLOCOPTER – Bruchsal, Germany: Volocopter develops electric helicopters designed for urban air mobility. The Volocopter 2X and VoloCity are their flagship models. The company has conducted test flights in various cities, including Singapore and Dubai.
LILIUM – Munich, Germany: Lilium is developing the Lilium Jet, a five-seat eVTOL aircraft. The company aims to create a regional air mobility network. Lilium has raised substantial funding and has conducted several successful test flights.
ARCHER AVIATION – Palo Alto, California, USA: Archer is focused on developing a fully electric air taxi. The company has a partnership with United Airlines and plans to launch commercial operations by 2024.
EHANG – Guangzhou, China: EHang develops autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) for passenger and logistics transportation. The EHang 216 is a notable model that has been tested in various cities worldwide.
EMBRAERX (EVE AIR MOBILITY) – São José dos Campos, Brazil: Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, is developing eVTOL aircraft and urban air traffic management solutions. The company aims to leverage Embraer’s aerospace expertise to advance UAM.
HYUNDAI URBAN AIR MOBILITY (SUPERNAL) – South Korea / USA: Hyundai is actively developing eVTOL aircraft through its Supernal division. The company envisions integrating air taxis into urban transportation networks.
BELL TEXTRON – Fort Worth, Texas, USA: Bell is developing the Nexus 4EX, an eVTOL aircraft designed for urban air mobility. Bell has a long history in helicopter manufacturing and aims to apply its expertise to the UAM sector.
