- Akron-Canton recorded about 180 ICE deportation flights by early October 2026.
- Three charter carriers owe $46,153 in landing fees, according to an airport official.
- A September 28 collision briefly diverted flights to Youngstown before they returned to Akron-Canton.
ICE deportation flights have shifted to Akron-Canton Regional Airport in Green, Ohio, where the airport authority says three charter carriers have left landing invoices unpaid since June 2026.
The airport recorded at least 167 related charter landings through September 17, 2026. By early October, the total had reached about 180 flights tied to Homeland Security deportation activity.
The carriers’ unpaid landing fees total $46,153, according to airport finance vice president James Krum. Eastern Air Express, Global X and Air Wisconsin operate the flights.
Only Air Wisconsin had contacted the authority about its invoices, Krum said. The airport says it cannot bar the carriers because it is a public agency.
The operation moved from Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in late April 2026. A section of that airport’s longest runway had closed for repairs.
The airport continues to seek payment. Its fee schedule charges based on aircraft weight and how often planes land, linking the outstanding bills to the volume of charter activity.
Three carriers have left their airport bills unpaid
The itemized amounts add up to $46,153. The airport’s accounting breakdown identifies Eastern Airlines as owing $41,540 through August, while Global X and Air Wisconsin owe smaller balances.
| Carrier | Outstanding amount | Invoice detail |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Airlines | $41,540 | Through August |
| Global X | $3,034 | Cumulative invoice |
| Air Wisconsin | $1,579 | Invoice amount |
A separate reported total put the balance at $46,513 across 148 billed landings. The itemized figures and Krum’s quoted total are $360 lower. The airport’s account names Eastern Airlines in its invoice breakdown; flight reporting also identifies the operator as Eastern Air Express.
The authority has said it cannot deny access to the carriers. That leaves it seeking payment while the aircraft continue to use the airport, with Air Wisconsin the only company reported to have asked about the bills.
The flights use a private service area, not an airport-ICE contract
The aircraft are serviced and detainees board at the Avflight facility on West Airport Drive. The airport authority does not have a direct business relationship with ICE for the flights.
Detainees are typically bused from county jails across Ohio before boarding. Most fly to ICE’s staging center in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Doug Oplinger described the airport as a “Great Lakes hub” for deportation flights. He wrote that aircraft arrive in the evening, often from Alexandria, and sometimes directly from Tapachula, Mexico.
“in the evening, often from a major ICE prison and deportation center in Alexandria, Louisiana, and on occasion directly from Tapachula, Mexico.”
Oplinger’s description traces the flights’ varied origins, while the airport’s records measure the landings and the fees charged for them. The airport’s role includes the runway access and fee collection; the detainee transfer and flight operations use the Avflight facility.
A September collision briefly sent flights back to Youngstown
A minor collision between two Eastern Air Express Boeing 737s at the airport on September 28, 2026, disrupted deportation flights. Operations moved temporarily back to Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport for at least three days.
The flights returned to Akron-Canton by Friday. The diversion briefly reversed the April shift that followed runway repairs at Youngstown-Warren.
