With hundreds of Walmart celebration attendees headed home on Friday afternoon, everyone knew Northwest Arkansas National Airport was going to be super busy.
Now, it’s official that Friday was a record-breaking day for XNA.
The airport saw 5,428 people pass through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, making it the single-busiest day in the airport’s nearly 9,400 days of operating.
Because many of those Walmart attendees stuck around for an extra day or two to check out Northwest Arkansas before flying home, Saturday and Sunday were remarkable, too.
The airport saw 5,053 people move through the TSA checkpoint on Saturday, making it the second-busiest day in the airport’s history.
Now standing at No. 5 among XNA’s best days is Sunday, which saw 4,477 people screened at TSA.
The previous best day was June 2 last year when 5,025 people went through TSA. And, yes, that was the Friday after a Walmart meeting, too.
Who must be screened
Most of the people who are screened at the TSA checkpoint are airline passengers and airline employees, but there are others who must be screened, too. Those include the people who work for the private companies running restaurants, bars and gift shops that are on the secure side at XNA.
It’s also important to note that TSA checkpoint activity increased after XNA late last year created a guest pass program. The program allows a family member or friend of an arriving passenger to obtain a pass so they can meet that person at the gate. The person must be screened at the checkpoint.
But don’t be fooled by the boosts created by the guest passes, the employees and others who move through the TSA checkpoint. It’s airline passengers who are driving the record-setting.
Five huge June days
In additional to the three days that can be directly tied to the last week’s Walmart events, June 2 and June 6 also rank among XNA’s 15 busiest days.
June 6 was a Thursday, and Thursdays all summer are sure to be huge. The airlines on most Thursdays have 49 flights departing, more than any other day of the week.
The traffic on June 2 can be tied to the region’s business travelers, who often depart for their trips on Sunday afternoons.
