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Northwest Arkansas National Airport

Coordinates: 36°16′54″N 094°18′28″W / 36.28167°N 94.30778°W / 36.28167; -94.30778
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Northwest Arkansas National Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerNorthwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority
ServesFayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, Rogers
Location1 Airport Blvd, Bentonville, Arkansas
Elevation AMSL1,288 ft / 393 m
Coordinates36°16′54″N 094°18′28″W / 36.28167°N 94.30778°W / 36.28167; -94.30778
Websitewww.flyxna.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Interactive map of Northwest Arkansas National Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16L/34R 8,801 2,683 Concrete
16R/34L 8,800 2,682 Concrete
Statistics (2025)
Aircraft operations51,776
Passenger volume2,524,256
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1][2]

Northwest Arkansas National Airport (IATA: XNA, ICAO: KXNA, FAA LID: XNA) in Northwest Arkansas[1] is a public-use airport located in Benton County, Arkansas, serving the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas region, 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) northwest of Fayetteville[1] and 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) northwest of Springdale.[3] Since its opening in 1998, XNA has become a vital transportation hub, reflecting the area's economic expansion and increasing travel demands. In early summer of 2025, XNA surpassed Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock as the busiest airport by passenger volume in Arkansas.

XNA covers 2,680 acres (1,085 ha) of land and has two parallel 8,800 foot (2,682 m) runways.[1]

XNA's operations benefit significantly from its proximity to the headquarters of major corporations, including Walmart in Bentonville, Tyson Foods in Springdale, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services in Lowell. The airport is also frequently utilized by athletic teams from the University of Arkansas for away games and by Razorback opponents visiting Fayetteville.

XNA is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[4]

History

[edit]

The establishment of XNA was driven by the need to accommodate the region's growing population and economic activities. Prior to XNA, Drake Field in Fayetteville was the primary airport, but its operational limitations prompted the search for a more capable facility. In 1990, the Northwest Arkansas Council, a private, non-profit organization, was formed with Alice L. Walton as its first chairperson. Under her leadership, the Council initiated efforts that led to the creation of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, which included representatives from Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Springdale, and Benton and Washington counties. This collaborative approach culminated in the opening of XNA on November 1, 1998, featuring a single terminal and runway.

In 2023, the Arkansas General Assembly passed legislation allowing regional airport authorities to detach from municipalities without requiring annexation by another municipality. Consequently, on September 19, 2023, XNA initiated the process to detach from the city of Highfill, aiming for equitable regional benefit for all five cities and two counties.

In 2025, XNA set a passenger record, serving 2,524,256 passengers, up 10% from 2024.

Expansion

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In 2007, airport officials announced the construction of a new concourse costing between $20 million and $25 million. The new facility, east of the upper concourse, has allowed the airport to increase its number of airplane parking positions from twelve to twenty. Building the new facility took over three years.[5]

The airport completed a ticket counter expansion in 2010. The airport has completed a $21 million expansion to the upper-level concourse that includes the state's first moving walkway. With the walkway, it is anticipated to take about three minutes to get from security to the last gate. The addition adds 51,000 square feet (4,700 m2) and twelve upper-level gates to the east side of the airport.[6] The moving walkway, however, is projected to soon be scrapped. Airport officials announced that additional seating and a children's play area will be placed in its current location.[7]

The airport was previously known as Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. It adopted the name Northwest Arkansas National Airport in December 2019. Airport officials attributed the change to perception, saying that the new name would help attract more airline service.[8]

On September 23, 2021, it was announced that Board members took the first steps toward adding a second concourse. The board voted to have staff negotiate with Fentress Architects for conceptual drawings for the first phase of Concourse B. The design work will cost about $185,000. The new concourse would allow the airport to use its boarding gates more efficiently. The Board are contemplating bringing some gates on Concourse A back into use for certain aircraft sizes and redesigning others. Phase One would include an elevated walkway, a hold room for passengers and a covered walkway out to a ground-level loading area onto the aircraft. Construction of the project is estimated to cost roughly $35 million to $50 million. Longer range plans call for building out Concourse B to roughly match Concourse A, projected to begin construction in 2026 and completed in 2028.[9]

In 2023, the airport began a Terminal Modernization Project designed to enhance passenger experience and accommodate growing demand. Key elements of this project include:

  • Updated baggage claims with upgraded conveyor systems.
  • New elevators, escalators, and stairwells to improve accessibility and increase vertical redundancy of passenger flow.
  • Redesigned pick-up and drop-off areas, with additional traffic lanes for better flow.

Recognizing the need for upgraded infrastructure, the airport began construction of a new air traffic control tower in June 2024. The new tower will replace the existing 57-foot structure, which was originally intended as a temporary solution when the airport opened in 1998.

The new tower will stand at 141 feet to the top of the cab, significantly improving visibility and operational efficiency for air traffic controllers. The enhanced height and modern features of the new tower will enable XNA to better handle increasing air traffic volumes as the region continues to grow. The project also includes an additional air traffic control facility at the base of the tower.

In February 2025, Escape Lounges opened a 2,300 square foot facility in the airport's main concourse. XNA is the smallest airport in the United States to feature a branded lounge.

At present, excluding Robinson Maneuver Training Center and Little Rock Air Force Base, two military facilities, XNA is the largest commercial/public/general aviation airport in terms of land area (2,680 acres, 4.2 sq.mi.) in the state of Arkansas.[1][10]

Runway

[edit]

The original runway built in 1998 required complete reconstruction in 2011, following the discovery of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in its Portland cement concrete. Since the runway was the only one at the airport, a temporary runway was necessary to maintain service during reconstruction. Stimulus funds of $9 million ($13.5 million in today's dollars) from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) allowed XNA to accelerate the alternative runway construction project. Upon completion of the alternate runway in 2012, all aircraft operations were shifted to the new surface and demolition and replacement of the primary runway began.[11]

Access Road

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Construction officially began on a four-lane interstate-standard access road on April 17, 2024. Managed by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT), the project will be a four-lane highway, extending approximately 4 miles from the airport entrance at Highway 264 to Highway 612, also known as the Springdale Bypass. Once completed, the road will provide a much-needed connection to the airport, improving travel times and accessibility for passengers and businesses in the region.

The need for this access road has been discussed for more than two decades. This project is expected to greatly improve safety, reducing the number of accidents caused by heavy traffic on narrow, rural routes leading to the airport.

The access road is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Facilities

[edit]
Terminal view

The airport covers 2,680 acres (1,085 ha) at an elevation of 1,288 feet (393 m). It has two runways, 16R/34L and 16L/34R. 16L/34R is 8,801 feet long by 150 feet (2,683 x 46 m) wide and 16R/34L is 8,800 feet long by 150 feet (2,682 x 46 m) wide.[1][12]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

[edit]
AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Allegiant Air Destin/Fort Walton Beach,[13] Fort Lauderdale,[14] Gulf Shores,[13] Las Vegas,[15] Nashville,[16] Orlando/Sanford,[13] Phoenix/Mesa,[17] St. Petersburg/Clearwater[13]
American Airlines Charlotte,[18] Dallas/Fort Worth,[18] Phoenix–Sky Harbor[17]
American Eagle Charlotte,[18] Chicago–O'Hare,[18] Dallas/Fort Worth,[18] Los Angeles,[18] Miami,[18] New York–LaGuardia,[18] Philadelphia,[19] Phoenix–Sky Harbor,[17] Washington–National[18]
Breeze Airways New Orleans,[20] Pensacola,[21] Tampa[22]
Seasonal: Orlando[23]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta[18]
Delta Connection Atlanta,[18] Detroit,[18] Minneapolis/St. Paul,[18] New York–LaGuardia,[18] Salt Lake City[13]
Frontier Airlines Denver[24]
United Airlines Denver[25]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare,[25] Denver,[25] Houston–Intercontinental[25]

Statistics

[edit]

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from XNA (February 2025 – January 2026)[26]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 239,010 American
2 Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta, Georgia 156,730 Delta
3 Illinois Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 131,780 American, United
4 North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina 115,690 American
5 Colorado Denver, Colorado 102,670 Frontier, United
6 Texas Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 76,540 United
7 New York (state) New York–LaGuardia 60,980 American, Delta
8 Arizona Phoenix-Sky Harbor, Arizona 54,480 American
9 Minnesota Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 34,100 Delta
10 California Los Angeles, California 29,330 American

Annual traffic

[edit]
Annual passenger traffic at XNA
1999–present[27][28][2]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
1999 653,022 2009 1,083,638 2019 1,846,374
2000 725,175 2010 1,139,801 2020 721,107
2001 735,822 2011 1,127,909 2021 1,234,328
2002 786,948 2012 1,135,023 2022 1,682,351
2003 892,489 2013 1,160,032 2023 1,982,866
2004 1,020,146 2014 1,276,851 2024 2,293,352
2005 1,168,858 2015 1,295,235 2025 2,524,256
2006 1,172,049 2016 1,396,738 2026
2007 1,200,122 2017 1,438,922 2027
2008 1,146,954 2018 1,574,610 2028

Note: In November and December 1998, the airport's first two months of operations, XNA served 53,565 passengers.

Airline market share

[edit]
Largest airlines at XNA
(February 2024 – January 2025)[29]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Envoy Air 666,000 29.53%
2 SkyWest Airlines 287,000 12.73%
3 American Airlines 273,000 12.10%
4 Endeavor Air 255,000 11.29%
5 Allegiant Air 234,000 10.89%
– Others 541,000 23.97%

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f FAA Airport Form 5010 for XNA PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective January 22, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "XNA Historical Traffic Reports 1998-2025". flyxna.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  3. ^ "Distance and heading from Springdale (36°10'53"N 94°08'45"W) to XNA (36°16'54"N 94°18'28"W)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "NPIAS Report 2019-2023 Appendix A" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 3, 2018. p. 16. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "XNA Opens New Concourse". KNWA. August 24, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  6. ^ "XNA Expands Terminal, Runway Facilities". 4029tv.com. June 30, 2010.
  7. ^ "XNA Improvements Taking Shape". Steve Fineberg & Associates. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  8. ^ "Airport in northwest Arkansas to get new name". Associated Press. December 12, 2019.
  9. ^ "Northwest Arkansas National Airport officials seek concept drawings for first phase of a new concourse". nwaonline.com. September 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "List of Airports in Arkansas From SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Nordstrom, Robert (2012). "Alternate Landing Surface Keeps Air Traffic Moving at Northwest Arkansas Regional". Airport Improvement Magazine. No. 2. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  12. ^ "XNA airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. FAA data effective 1/20/2026.
  13. ^ a b c d e Gill, Todd (8 May 2025). "Pensacola to become XNA's newest nonstop route via Breeze Airways". Fayetteville Flyer. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  14. ^ Souza, Kim (25 May 2021). "Allegiant adds 2 non-stop flights from XNA to Florida". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  15. ^ Souza, Kim (25 May 2021). "Allegiant adds 2 non-stop flights from XNA to Florida". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Allegiant to connect Nashville to nine cities". Nashville Post. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  17. ^ a b c Lassetter, Jon (8 February 2023). "New Route of the Day – Americas (3 February 2023): American between Phoenix and Fayetteville". Air Service One. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Velani, Bhavya (24 August 2024). "American Airlines Adds New Flights to XNA After Delta's Entry". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  19. ^ "American announces new nonstop flights to Philadelphia out of XNA". August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  20. ^ Killett, Gabriella (19 November 2022). "Breeze Airways started flying 10 routes from New Orleans, now has 13, is adding three more". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  21. ^ "Breeze Airways Expands Across the United States with New Routes to Fort Lauderdale, Salisbury, Akron-Canton, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Key West, Pensacola, and More Starting This Fall". Travel and Tour World. May 7, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  22. ^ Lassetter, Jon (9 September 2025). "New Route of the Day – Americas (4 September 2025): Breeze between Pensacola and Fayetteville". Air Service One. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Breeze Airlines offers dozens of cheap options from 9 Florida airports. Where flights are going". February 6, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  24. ^ Gilbert, Gary (9 April 2019). "XNA Offering Flights to Denver through Frontier Airlines". Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  25. ^ a b c d Derby, Kevin (22 August 2024). "Delta Adding New Routes from Detroit and Salt Lake City". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  26. ^ "RITA – BTS – Transtats". Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  27. ^ "Airport Traffic Statistics". Archived from the original on 2014-07-15.
  28. ^ "XNL Airport Traffic Stats | Historical Reports | 1998-2021 Reports". Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  29. ^ "RITA – BTS – Transtats".
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