Akron-Canton Airport

What Akron-Canton Airport does

Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) is a publicly owned regional commercial airport operated by the Akron-Canton Airport Authority under a Board of Trustees structure, located on 2,700 acres in North Canton, Ohio. The facility includes two ILS-equipped intersecting runways, a 24-hour FAA control tower, a 252,131-square-foot terminal, and five parking lots priced from $11 to $22 per day. CAK was founded in 1946 and currently employs 11–50 Authority staff, while supporting 1,034 jobs across airlines, TSA, FAA, concessionaires, fixed-base operators, and corporate aviation tenants.

The airport generates revenue through a diversified mix: airline landing fees and facility charges, directly operated parking, third-party concessions (notably MSE Branded Foods operating dining and retail), terminal advertising, event space rentals, and property leasing on build-to-suit hangars, MRO facilities, and industrial park lots. CAK serves four airline partners — Allegiant, American, Breeze, and United — offering 24 nonstop destinations, 150+ one-stop connections, and 99+ international connections, reaching major leisure and business markets across the U.S. East Coast, Midwest, Southeast, and Sunbelt. The airport has held the lowest average airfare of any Ohio airport for more than a decade and was named a top-15 most affordable U.S. airport by CheapFlights.com for three consecutive years through 2012.

CAK targets two primary customer segments: price-sensitive leisure travelers from the Cleveland+ Northeast Ohio region seeking direct flights to leisure destinations, and business travelers requiring connectivity to Charlotte, Chicago, Washington D.C., and other commercial hubs. The airport's go-to-market combines sales-led airline partnership development (route planning conferences and direct outreach), channel partnerships with concessionaires and advertisers, and a community-led social media strategy — CAK claims to have been the first U.S. airport on Facebook. Over the past decade, more than $100 million has been invested in gate modernization, runway extension, a new 41,600-square-foot concourse, covered parking, and a therapy dog program (C.R.E.W.), positioning CAK as a small-airport-feel, big-airport-amenity alternative to Cleveland Hopkins.

Name

Akron-Canton Airport

Legal name

Akron-Canton Airport

Website

https://akroncantonairport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) is a publicly owned regional commercial airport in Northeast Ohio operating 24 nonstop destinations across four airline partners, generating revenue from landing fees, parking, concessions, advertising, event rentals, and on-campus property leasing for the Cleveland+ leisure and business travel market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Operations

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Other Airport Operations (488119)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Airport Inter-Terminal & Landside Circulator Shuttles (THAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Commercial airport operations
• Airline passenger services
• Airport parking facilities
• Aviation ground services
• Terminal concessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Landing Fees & Airport Charges: Airlines pay landing fees and facility charges to operate at the airport, contributing to the airport's operating revenue.
2. Parking Operations: The airport operates multiple parking facilities including Short-Term, Covered Short-Term, Long-Term Lot A, Long-Term Lot B, and Economy Lot, generating revenue from daily parking rates ranging from $11 to $22.
3. Concessions: Food, beverage, and retail concessions are operated by third-party concessionaires such as MSE Branded Foods (operating CAK Cafe, Cafe Express, Caribou Coffee, and restaurant facilities). The airport receives a share of concession revenue.
4. Advertising: The airport sells advertising space throughout its terminal, reaching nearly one million annual passengers and offering targeted access to business flyers, families, and affluent leisure travelers.
5. Event Space Rentals: The airport offers conference rooms and an open atrium for meetings, events, and conferences, with over $100 million invested in modernized facilities supporting first-class event hosting.
6. Property Development & Real Estate: The airport offers private hangars, MRO operations on the airfield, business development in industrial parks, suite space, and build-to-suit areas on 2,700 acres of property for commercial and industrial tenants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) is a publicly owned regional commercial airport providing air transportation and related services to Northeast Ohio. It operates 24 nonstop flights through four airline partners (Allegiant, American, Breeze, United), along with multiple parking facilities, terminal amenities, ground transportation, general aviation services, advertising, event space rentals, and commercial property leasing across its 2,700-acre site.

Product overview

Akron-Canton Airport operates as a regional commercial airport offering a unified set of travel and business services. Core services include commercial flight operations with 24 nonstop destinations via four airlines (Allegiant, American, Breeze, United), multiple parking options, and ground transportation. The terminal provides passenger amenities such as free WiFi, food and beverage concessions, business facilities, and pet-friendly spaces including a therapy dog program. For business customers, the airport offers concessions, advertising, event rentals, and property development opportunities including hangars and industrial lots across 2,700 acres. The airport serves as both a passenger hub and a general aviation facility, with recent investments exceeding $100 million in modernization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.R.E.W. (Caring Rovers Endless Wags): Therapy dog program launched at CAK featuring certified therapy dogs Ashley, Maeve, and Poppy to provide meaningful interactions for passengers.

Products and services

• Commercial Flight Operations Scheduled commercial passenger airline service operating 24 nonstop destinations (Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Daytona, Destin, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Norfolk, Orlando, Palm Beach, Portland, Punta Gorda, Raleigh, Sanford, Sarasota, Savannah, Tampa, St. Pete, Washington D.C., Wilmington) with 150+ one-stop connections and 99+ international connections through partnerships with Allegiant, American, Breeze, and United airlines. Sold to individual leisure and business travelers in the Northeast Ohio region.
• Airport Parking Five parking facilities offering daily parking to travelers: Short-Term ($19/day), Covered Short-Term ($22/day), Long-Term Lot A ($15/day), Long-Term Lot B ($13/day), and Economy Lot ($11/day with complimentary shuttle). Operated directly by the airport Authority.
• Concessions (Food, Beverage & Retail)

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowest average airfares in Ohio for over a decade
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Breeze AirwayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 February 2026Breeze Airways is a key airline partner operating seasonal nonstop service from Akron-Canton Airport. Routes include Myrtle Beach, S.C. (increasing to daily in July 2026) and Portland, Maine (seasonal, starting July 2, 2026, from $59 one way). Breeze is described as the premium leisure carrier providing affordable, direct flights from underserved markets, operating a fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
• Allegiant AircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAllegiant Air is one of four airline partners serving CAK, operating nonstop leisure flights to destinations including Savannah, St. Pete/Clearwater, Sarasota/Bradenton, Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Orlando/Sanford, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Jacksonville, and Destin/Ft. Walton Beach.
• American AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Airlines operates nonstop service from CAK to Charlotte, Washington D.C. (Reagan National), and Chicago, serving as a key business travel connection for the airport.
• United AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnited Airlines operates nonstop flights from CAK to multiple destinations including Charleston, Las Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Norfolk, Ft. Myers, Raleigh/Durham, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale/Miami, Daytona Beach, Wilmington, and Portland.
• Coastal Pet Products, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Pet Products, a national pet products brand based in Alliance, Ohio, partnered with CAK to design custom collars and leashes for each of the three therapy dogs (Ashley, Maeve, and Poppy) in the C.R.E.W. program. This partnership supports the airport's therapy dog initiative and demonstrates local corporate community engagement.
• Alliance of Therapy DogsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance of Therapy Dogs certified the C.R.E.W. (Caring Rovers Endless Wags) therapy dog program at CAK. Each dog and handler team is certified through this organization, supporting CAK's passenger experience and wellness initiative.
• MSE Branded FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMSE Branded Foods is the airport's food and gift concessionaire, operating the CAK Cafe, Cafe Express, Caribou Coffee, and a new restaurant overlooking the airfield. They have introduced various dining options to enhance the traveler experience.
• AultCareminorOthersAultCare provides the AultCare Mothers' Room amenity at the airport terminal, supporting nursing mothers and families traveling through CAK.
• Wolff and PhanminorOthersWolff and Phan designed the Sensory Room at the Akron-Canton Airport terminal, providing a calming environment for travelers with sensory sensitivities as part of recent airport enhancements.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Yeager Airport (Charleston, WV): Smaller regional airport in the broader Appalachian/Mid-Atlantic region with similar non-hub positioning, government authority ownership, and modest passenger scale.

Regional players

• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: Primary competitor to CAK, serving the same Northeast Ohio catchment with substantially larger passenger volumes, hub airline service, and broader international connectivity. Operated by the City of Cleveland as a larger-scale regional airport.
• Pittsburgh International Airport: Competing regional airport within driving distance of the Northeast Ohio catchment, offering more nonstop destinations and hub-style connectivity. Most directly comparable as a mid-sized regional airport competing for similar drive-radius passengers.
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport: Ohio-based regional airport comparable in scale and mission, providing commercial service with multiple airline partners and serving a similar mid-market catchment with leisure and business traffic.
• Dayton International Airport: Ohio-based regional airport of broadly similar passenger scale and operating model, providing commercial service to the Dayton region with comparable mix of airline partners and amenities.
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport: Another Ohio-adjacent regional airport with similar non-hub positioning, operating with multiple commercial carriers and serving a comparable mid-size catchment area.
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport: Mid-sized Northeast/Midwest regional airport of comparable passenger scale, operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, serving a similar secondary-market role with multi-airline service.
• Toledo Express Airport: Smaller Ohio regional airport offering commercial service from the same state catchment as CAK, with comparable reliance on regional airline partners and limited hub connectivity.

Broad incumbents

• Indianapolis International Airport: Larger Midwest regional airport operated by an airport authority structure similar to CAK, providing commercial passenger service with comparable non-aeronautical revenue diversification including parking, concessions, and real estate development.

Others

• Allegheny County Airport Authority: Public airport authority governance structure comparable to the Akron-Canton Airport Authority, operating regional airport assets in the same Mid-Atlantic/Midwest geographic cluster.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cakairport
• Facebookfacebook.com/akroncantonairport
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cakairport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akron-Canton Airport