Airport
Akron Fulton Intl Airport (IATA: AKC, ICAO: KAKR, FAA LID: AKR) is in Akron, Summit County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the City of Akron;[1] FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015[2] called it a general aviation airport.
Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Akron Executive is AKR to the FAA and AKC to the IATA (which assigned AKR to Akure, Nigeria).
History
The airport was initially named for longtime manager Bain Ecarius "Shorty" Fulton and his son Bain J. "Bud" Fulton.[3][4] Funding for the airport was initially allocated in 1924, and it opened in 1929.[5] Later it was a U.S. naval air station, Naval Air Station Akron. The airport has served only general aviation for many years, but it does technically have United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and so is considered an "international airport".
The airport is home to the Goodyear Airdock, where the first lighter-than-air ships were built. More than 130 airships and 4,000 naval FG-1D Corsair fighter aircraft were produced at the airport by Goodyear Aircraft during World War II. The airport was a Naval Air Station, designated as NAS Akron, used to train pilots during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.[5]
From 1951 through the 1960s the airport was used as a drag racing strip, and it's also home to the All-American Soap Box Derby.[5][6][7]
In 1985, the Akron Fulton International Airport was recognized as the 3rd National Landmark of Soaring by the National Soaring Museum.[8]
On August 3, 2018, the City of Akron announced that the airport had been renamed Akron Executive Airport.[9]
In 2020, the Akron City Council approved $6 million in upgrades for the airport, including upgrades the airport's lighting system and a runway reconstruction to allow nearby land to be developed. While the airport's main runway was not altered, the smaller north/south runway was ultimately removed to allow for hangars or other developments, both in and around the airport, to be built. Much of the funding for the project was funded by the federal CARES Act due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][11]
The Akron-Fulton International Airport Administration Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.[12]
Historical airline service
The airport once had airline service on Pennsylvania Airlines, Inc. Flights went to Washington, D.C. via Pittsburgh six times daily. United Airlines once flew the Douglas DC-3 from Akron Executive to Chicago (via Cleveland) and New York.[5]
Eastern Airlines flew to Akron Executive in 1945. Akron served as a stop on the carrier's flights from Denver to Miami. American Airlines also flew to Akron Executive around that time, connecting Akron to other Ohio cities like Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton.[5]
Facilities and aircraft
Akron Fulton Intl Airport covers 1,171 acres (474 ha) at an elevation of 1,067 feet (325 m). It has one asphalt runway: 7/25 is 6,337 by 150 feet (1,932 x 46 m).[13][1]
In the year ending September 19, 2022 the airport had 48,910 aircraft operations, an average 134 per day: 99% general aviation, <1% air taxi, and <1% military. This is up from 26,000 annual operations in 2010. At that time 84 aircraft were based at the airport: 71 single-engine and 9 multi-engine airplanes, 3 jets, and 1 helicopter.[1][14]
The airport is supported by local Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) Summit Air, which fuels and hangars aircraft.[15] North Coast Air Care has been based at the Akron Flight facility since May 2000. It services the general aviation community by performing inspections, maintenance, and repairs.
