The Akron-Canton Airport, which already has more than twice as many nonstop destinations as it did before the coronavirus pandemic, expects to add even more in the coming months.

Four carriers will operate 24 direct flights beginning this fall, said Ren Camacho, the airport’s president and CEO. Camacho expects existing carriers to add two or three more destinations that will be announced before the end of this year. And he’s working on adding direct flights in 2026 to destinations that are key for business travelers — namely, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and New York.

“We have to be more nimble and more agile,” Camacho said. “Our industry is so dynamic and ever-changing.”

Dallas-Fort Worth and Dulles, in Washington D.C., are other priorities, said Lisa Dalpiaz, the vice president of air service and business development. Dalpiaz also said the airport is working to bring Delta service back to Akron, and expects to add another Florida destination.

It’s a strong recovery from 2020, when the airport’s 11 nonstop destinations dropped to four. And Camacho’s vision for the future includes more expansion — by 2027, he’d like Akron-Canton passengers to enjoy direct options to as many as 40 locales, from Seattle to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The new route ambitions are part of a three-year strategic plan Camacho presented Wednesday to community leaders. In addition to expanding service and retaining current carriers, Camacho is prioritizing succession planning to ensure the airport’s future. 

A quarter of the airport’s 60 employees will be of retirement age in the next couple years, he said.

And the airport is considering the timing of a gate expansion, which would increase its gate capacity to 11, from nine. 

Akron-Canton Airport
Akron-Canton Airport is pictured on May 28. (Arielle Kass / Signal Akron)

Aiming for corporate travelers out of CAK

The push for more destinations is intended to better suit the needs of business travelers. Camacho said he’s shared data about the travel habits of corporate partners like Timken and Goodyear with airlines to help convince them that there’s a market for direct flights from Akron-Canton.

There are also plans to expand the number of leisure destinations. Pensacola is one Florida route that the airport doesn’t currently serve, but would like to. The discussions about new routes involve expanded service from American, Allegiant, Breeze and United airlines and new carriers.

Camacho wants to give customers more options, while keeping Akron-Canton’s “A better way to travel” slogan top of mind.

“We talk to all of them,” Camacho said of airlines that aren’t currently flying out of the city. “It would be nice to get Southwest back. We talk to Avelo, Sun Country, Frontier.”

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Airport plan calls for more gates as demand increases

Akron-Canton’s current nine gates are down from 11, Camacho said, but those older gates were crowded and required passengers to board airplanes outside. 

The airport’s modernization project reduced the number and gave travelers more space at gates, as well as ensuring they wouldn’t have to brave the elements to get on an airplane.

The capacity isn’t there yet to go back to 11, but Camacho said with more flights coming online this fall, and more to be announced, the time will come. The airport’s master plan calls for as many as 15 gates.

Already, he said, the airport in June will reopen its closed long-term parking lot B due to increased demand.

The airport’s catchment area — the distance that travelers are driving to fly out of CAK — continues to increase, Camacho said.

“We are, we believe, being an airport of choice in Northeast Ohio,” he said. “We need more air service; we know that.”

New air traffic control tower among airport’s needs

There are other initiatives on Camacho’s radar. For one, the air traffic control tower — while fully staffed — needs to be upgraded. It dates to the 1960s, he said, and isn’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also has sightline limitations on cloudy or foggy days.

Rebuilding the tower could cost $55 million in 2030 dollars, Camacho said. The airport will begin a study next year to figure out where a replacement tower should go.

The airport also has 80 acres of undeveloped land on its west side where a new hangar could be built, Camacho said. And he’s looking for more non-aeronautical revenue sources to help fund these projects — parking, rental cars and concessions.

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Room to improve service, while staying accessible

But everything is not “dandelions and roses” at the airport, Camacho said. He expects more airline mergers, leading to less competition. He’s worried that airplane manufacturer delays will continue to be an industry issue. And as airlines shift to larger planes, “we need to have more people on those planes for the airlines to stay here.”

Much of the airport’s service is a “use-it-or-lose-it proposition,” Camacho said. He doesn’t want Akron-Canton to become as crowded as Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, or Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. But he sees room for continued improvement.

“We can continue to be a small-airport feel with big-airport amenities,” he said. “If we’re just as congested as a bigger airport, what’s the point?”

Economics of Akron Reporter (she/her)
Arielle is a Northeast Ohio native with more than 20 years of reporting experience in Cleveland, Atlanta and Detroit. She joined Signal Akron as its founding education reporter, where she covered Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron.
As the economics of Akron reporter, Arielle will cover topics including housing, economic development and job availability. Through her reporting, she aims to help Akron residents understand the economic issues that are affecting their ability to live full lives in the city, and highlight information that can help residents make decisions. Arielle values diverse voices in her reporting and seeks to write about under-covered issues and groups.