Passengers flying out of Akron-Canton this year are increasingly choosing Breeze Airways. The Salt Lake City-based carrier now handles about 40% of the airport’s traffic and is the largest airline at CAK, a jump that has pushed the airline to add destinations and aircraft. Breeze will launch twice-weekly nonstop service to Portland, Maine, on July 2 and says a fourth aircraft will join its CAK base later in 2026. The carrier also operates a growing crew base at the airport with roughly 130 pilots, flight attendants, and technicians stationed locally.
As reported by Cleveland.com, founder and CEO David Neeleman said, "we're looking to add more and more destinations" and argued passengers prefer avoiding hub connections. The reporting traces Breeze’s CAK start to 2021 and notes the carrier has since expanded into international markets, including Cancún and Nassau. That momentum helped persuade local leaders that the carrier’s base investment would bring jobs and more nonstop options for Northeast Ohio.
New Portland Nonstop And More Seats At CAK
As announced by Akron-Canton Airport, Breeze’s Portland, Maine, seasonal flights will operate Thursdays and Sundays beginning July 2, and the airline is increasing Myrtle Beach frequency. The airport framed the additions as part of a broader summer schedule growth aimed at boosting leisure options for Northeast Ohio. Travelers can also use the airport’s passenger-stats tools to watch how those schedules affect monthly totals.
Breeze’s Foothold And What It Means
Cleveland.com reports Breeze carried about 36% of CAK passengers in 2025 and is handling roughly 40% so far in 2026, making it the airport’s dominant operator. The same reporting says the carrier’s CAK crew base, opened in 2025, now supports roughly 130 local crewmembers and three aircraft, with a fourth slated to join later this year. When the base was first announced, it was expected to bring more than 60 jobs, an initial figure reported by AviationPros, underscoring how quickly the operation has scaled.
International Options Hinge On Preclearance
Neeleman has said Nassau could be a possible international destination because U.S. preclearance is available there, which would remove the need for on-site Customs processing at CAK. U.S. Customs and Border Protection lists Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau among its preclearance locations, allowing travelers to clear U.S. immigration before departure. Because CAK itself does not have a U.S. customs facility, international expansion will depend on routing that either uses preclearance or connects through a U.S. port of entry.
What Travelers Should Expect
For travelers, that means more point-to-point choices out of a smaller gateway rather than a longer connection through a hub. Airport postings and press releases show CAK is ramping up summer schedules and seat capacity as demand returns, and the newsroom indicates the facility is tracking stronger totals compared with recent years. Watch for Breeze’s network tests, including additional seasonal routes or the planned fourth CAK aircraft, to be the clearest signal of whether this growth will hold past 2026.
