Breeze Airways, which has flown out of the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) since June 2021, announced it will be opening a new crew base this summer at the facility.  

More than 60 pilot, flight attendant, and maintenance jobs are expected to be added over the next three years. The addition in Green of the carrier’s 11th base will also allow the airline to station two to three aircraft at CAK overnight to help establish “a foundation for future growth” at the airport, according to a news release from the company.

Signal background

The project was approved today to receive a 2.192%, nine-year Job Creation Tax Credit from the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release the jobs created by the crew base in Green would generate more than $11 million in new annual payroll as a result of the company’s expansion project.

Breeze Aviation Group provides “affordable commercial air travel, connecting passengers to smaller, underserved airports,” the governor’s office stated. At CAK, the airline offers 10 non-stop and four one-stop, no “change of plane” flights to seasonal and year-round destinations, including Charleston, South Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada; Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles, California; and Raleigh, North Carolina. 

“The Akron-Canton community continues to show high demand for Breeze’s premium, convenient service, so establishing a base in the community is a natural fit,” said David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ founder and CEO. 

Read Documenter Courtney Brown’s notes from the Akron-Canton Airport Authority Board meeting Jan. 16.

“This investment will bring additional flights, optimized schedules, and significant economic benefits to Northeast Ohio,” said Ren Camacho, CAK’s president and CEO. “The crew members will become part of our community — living here and enjoying all the benefits that our region has to offer.”

According to its news release, Breeze has been named a top five “Best Domestic Airline” by Travel + Leisure for three consecutive years and was named “Best Seat Comfort in North America” by Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) in 2024.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.