Northwest Arkansas National Airport recorded 112,603 passenger boardings in September, its highest total ever for the month and a 5.1% increase from 107,160 in September 2025.

Through September, XNA’s boardings were about 4.5% ahead of the same period last year. If boardings increase by about 5% over last year’s levels during the final three months, the airport would finish 2026 with approximately 1.32 million boardings.

XNA’s record September came as national airport security checkpoint traffic declined. The Transportation Security Administration screened about 2.35 million people per day in September, down about 2% from the same month a year earlier, according to a compilation of TSA checkpoint data.

TSA figures include passengers, airport employees and others screened at security checkpoints. While they are not directly comparable with passenger boardings, they offer a broader indication of air travel trends.