Big passenger numbers just keep landing at Northwest Arkansas National Airport.
New statistics shared this week by XNA administrators show the airport saw 97,533 passengers board flights in April, making it the biggest April in the airport’s history. The previous best was 89,524 passengers in April last year.
The big numbers just about every month at XNA are being driven by at least two factors.
First, the region’s population keeps growing, and it makes perfect sense that the airport’s numbers would rise right along with it.
But just as importantly, airlines keep investing in more service at XNA. Delta Air Lines in recent months has added daily flights to Detroit and Salt Lake City. American Airlines, meanwhile, started flying each day to Philadelphia.
More new air service is on its way. Allegiant Air on Thursday makes its first trip to Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama, and it’ll go there twice each week. Breeze Airways on Sept. 4 starts going twice a week to Pensacola, Fla.
Gulf Shores will become XNA’s 26th nonstop destination, giving the airport more service that airports in Tulsa (23 destinations), Little Rock (19) and Springfield, Mo. (14).
XNA averages 46 flights a day, maxing out on Fridays (52) and hitting its weekly low on Saturdays (38).
The Northwest Arkansas airport is running well ahead of its record-breaking 1.1 million passengers in 2024. Through this year’s first four months, XNA is 12.1% higher than last year. If that pattern doesn’t change, XNA should approach 1.3 million boardings this year.
