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Akron-Canton Regional Airport
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Akron-Canton Airport (IATA: CAK, ICAO: KCAK, FAA LID: CAK) is a commercial Class C airport located in the city of Green, in southern Summit County, Ohio (a very small portion of both runways extend into Stark County,) roughly 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Akron, Ohio, and roughly 10 nautical miles (19 km) northwest of Canton, Ohio. The airport is jointly operated by Summit County and Stark County.
Money for the airport was initially allocated during World War II for defense purposes, but the construction stalled over a controversy relating to whether public funding of airport construction would be appropriate. As a result, private funding was essential to the initial construction of the airport, particularly in purchasing the land. The airport was dedicated on October 13, 1946, but permanent terminal facilities were not built until 1955.
The airport has two runways - 7,601, and 7,598 feet (2,317 and 2,316 m) long, both 150 feet (46 m) wide.
Passenger growth
In 2005, 1.43 million passengers flew through Akron-Canton [3], over three times the number just ten years earlier. It is one of the fastest-growing airports in the Midwest, and is attracting passengers not only from the Akron/Canton area, but also from the Cleveland metropolitan area. The airport has had increases in number of passengers every year since 1995 except for 2001, and that year's lack of growth was largely blamed on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks which slowed air travel nationwide.
The airport is marketing itself as "A better way to go", noting the ease of the Akron-Canton Airport in comparison to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport some 40 miles (64 km) north. The airport essentially serves as a secondary "reliever" airport for Northeast Ohio.
Although the majority of the airport's traffic growth has been in the commercial sector, over 75% of all air traffic at Akron-Canton is still general aviation, since general aviation is all but nonexistent at nearby Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport.
The largest airline in passenger volume at Akron-Canton is by far AirTran Airways, and this airline is largely responsible for most of the airport's growth.
Other airlines that service the airport are Frontier Airlines, Delta Connection, US Airways Express, United Express and Northwest Airlink.
Akron-Canton Airport doubled passenger ridership from 2000 to 2006, largely because of new flights added by AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines. Also during that time, CAK represented 20% of all air travel growth in the state of Ohio.
The airport experienced its best month ever in July 2008 when 149,757 traveled to and from CAK.
Current Expansion
The airport kicked off CAK 2018, its 10-year, $110-million Capital Improvement Plan in March 2008. The plan is the most ambitious capital improvement plan in Akron-Canton Airport’s history and calls for 10 projects in the next 10 years. One of those projects, a runway expansion, has already begun. Runway 5/23 will be extended from 7,600 ft. to 8,200 ft. Once completed, the runways will allow aircraft to fly farther – non-stop to anywhere in the U.S. and throughout Mexico and Canada. The safety area at the north end of the runway will be upgraded and an Instrument Landing System will be relocated. This project is expected to be completed in late 2010.
Other projects includes expanding aircraft parking and general aviation area, replacing aircraft rescue and fire fighting maintenance facility, a new customs and border patrol facility, expand auto parking lots, a widened entrance road, expanded ticket wing and TSa screening area, expanded upper level concourse and the construction of Port Green Industrial Park, 213 acres will be developed into 10-12 business sites bringing up to 1,000 high paying jobs to northeast Ohio.
Last Expansion
In 2006, the airport completed a major expansion and renovation of the terminal, including the addition of a new terminal wing off the main concourse-bring the number of gates to 12 (up from 9), new baggage areas, a food court, and improved aesthetics. The new wing of the terminal opened to passengers in May, 2006 and is home to AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines.
Other facts
US Airways Express carrier PSA Airlines operates a hangar at CAK, where it performs both line and heavy maintenance on its fleet of Canadair Regional Jet aircraft.
Thurman Munson, catcher for the New York Yankees, was killed in his private plane attempting to land at Akron-Canton on August 2, 1979.
Airlines and destinations
Ground transportation
Akron-Canton Airport is served by a number of taxicab and shuttle services.[4]
It is also served regularly by one route from each of the region's two public transit providers, Akron Metro Regional Transit route 110, and Canton-based SARTA route 115.
References
- ^ Akron-Canton Airport (official site
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for CAK (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2008-06-05
- ^ Akron-Canton Airport Achieves Fourth Consecutive Annual Passenger Record
- ^ Akron-Canton Airport Ground Transportation Services
External links
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