In just one week, Northwest Arkansas travelers will have another nonstop flight option at XNA.
Philadelphia flights offered by American Airlines start Dec. 19. It will eventually become a daily flight, but it won’t be in the air on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays until mid-February. The schedule shows it becomes daily on Feb. 13.
The flights leave Philly around 10 a.m., and they depart from XNA in the early afternoon on most days.
As an American Airlines hub, Philadelphia offers convenient connections for international travelers heading to cities like Lisbon, London, Rome, Paris, Madrid, and Amsterdam.
A consultant’s study shows Philadelphia is the 27th busiest destination for people in XNA’s so-called “catchment area.” Stretching halfway to Tulsa, as far north as Joplin and as far south as Van Buren, the area includes all or parts of 18 counties. While XNA is the dominant airport in the zone and captures about 75% of its travelers, some people drive and then fly from airports in Tulsa, Kansas City, Fort Smith, Little Rock and Springfield, Mo.
The study estimates 28 daily travelers to Philadelphia, with 24 already flying through XNA. Another portion of travelers will be on the Philadelphia flight and make a connection there before traveling on to another destination.
In the catchment area, the list of places busier than Philadelphia that can’t be reached nonstop from XNA includes Seattle (67 people a day), San Francisco (66), Boston (46), San Diego (45), Austin (43), and Portland (33).
By next summer, XNA will offer 26 nonstop destinations, signaling continued growth for the region.
Philadelphia will become XNA’s 24th nonstop destination next week. Delta Air Lines will follow with daily service to Salt Lake City in February, marking destination No. 25. By late May, Allegiant Air will add destination No. 26 with twice-weekly flights to Gulf Shores, Alabama. With 26 nonstop destinations by next summer, XNA continues to enhance its offerings, providing travelers in Northwest Arkansas more options than ever to connect to the nation and beyond.
