The Columbus Regional Airport Authority is an independent government entity established in 2003 through the merger of the Columbus Airport Authority and Rickenbacker Port Authority. Operating under the Ohio Revised Code, CRAA manages three distinct aviation facilities across Central Ohio: John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Rickenbacker International Airport, and Bolton Field. The organization is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors appointed by the City of Columbus and Franklin County, and it administers Foreign-Trade Zone 138, which spans 25 counties to facilitate customs-efficient international trade operations.
CRAA's infrastructure handles significant operational scale across passenger, cargo, and general aviation domains. John Glenn Columbus International Airport serves as the region's primary passenger hub, connecting travelers to 53 nonstop destinations through 11 airlines and recording 8.9 million passengers in 2024. Rickenbacker International Airport operates as a dedicated cargo and logistics facility, while Bolton Field supports corporate and recreational general aviation activity. The authority's operations generate $2.7 billion in regional economic activity and support nearly 30,000 jobs across Central Ohio.
The organization is executing a $2 billion terminal modernization project at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, scheduled for completion in 2029. This large-scale infrastructure initiative intersects with operational technology systems, air traffic coordination infrastructure, passenger data processing, and the digital supply chain networks that underpin modern airport operations. CRAA's technical domains span airport operations, passenger air service management, cargo and logistics operations, general aviation services, foreign-trade zone administration, and infrastructure development - each representing distinct attack surfaces requiring coordinated security architecture across physical and digital systems.