CANTON, Ohio — Akron-Canton Airport marked its 80th anniversary on Tuesday with a celebration for travelers, employees and the community.
“It’s invigorating. 80 years. I’ve been here for eight of those 80 years, so happy to say roughly that amount of time to have a small impact, and it’s really on the shoulders of those that came before me,” said President and CEO Renato Camacho. “We’re that community asset that people rely on to get to where they need to go to.”
Camacho told News 5 he hopes to make even more progress in the years ahead for people like Susan Chaddock, who enjoys flying out of the airport.
“It is so convenient. It’s close to my home. It’s easy; in and out quick. The people are so friendly too. Everyone is just very friendly,” Chaddock said.
But for now, he said he’s proud to see how the airport has grown from a former farm property into a regional travel hub.
“That evolution over the years really is a testament to our very supportive community,” Camacho said. “We started this effort to really celebrate this airport’s impact on the community from a regional growth perspective. From about 43,000 passengers in 1946 to just shy of a million passengers this year, so we’ve grown a lot over the years.”
Looking ahead, Camacho hopes to bring more flights, jobs and investment to the area.
“We know that places like New York City, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, more business-centric, are kind of our next step,” Camacho said.
In the meantime, he said travelers can expect to see some new technology upgrades.
“The website is really a great refresh of who we are and where we’re going. Again, it caters to people of all ages,” Camacho said.
