Airport Chronology

1950s — Efforts led by the late Sen. J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) to build a new regional airport fail because of local issues. Debate on the need for a new airport is bantered back and forth for around 40 years.

September 1990 — Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt (R-Ark.), then the ranking member of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee, convenes a field hearing in Springdale about building a new airport. Fourteen committee members from both sides of the aisle hear testimony from local leaders including the late Sam Walton, Don Tyson and J.B. Hunt.

December 1990 — Governing bodies of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Siloam Springs and Washington and Benton counties vote to create the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority. The independent public entity is charged with exploring the feasibility of building a new regional airport.

December 1990 — U.S. Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner announces the FAA has approved a planning grant to study construction of a new regional airport in Arkansas.

Jan. 31, 1991 — Hammerschmidt announces the FAA has awarded a grant of $601,632 to perform a four-phase airport planning study including feasibility, site selection, master plan and environmental assessment.

November 1992 — Voters in all seven local governments decide by a combined total vote of 74 percent to stay in the Airport Authority and continue the project.

Aug. 23, 1993 — Then-Rep. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) announced an FAA grant of $600,000 to perform the environmental impact statement.

Aug. 31, 1993 — Then-Gov. Jim Guy Tucker announces a $60,000 grant from the governor’s discretionary fund to serve as the local match for the EIS grant.

July 1994 — Airport Authority presents its preapplication to the FAA for federal funding with the assistance of Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.), then-Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.) and Hutchinson.

July 1994 — The Arkansas Industrial Development Commission awards a $500,000 grant from the state Economic Infrastructure Fund to begin the acquisition of land.

Sept. 27, 1994 — Pryor and Bumpers announce the award of $9 million in FAA grant funds to acquire land for the new airport.

November & December 1994 — All seven entities of local government reaffirm their participation in the Airport Authority prior to the issuance of the first $5 million of bond anticipated notes.

March 3, 1995 — Pryor and Bumpers announce a $12.3 million FAA grant to complete land acquisition and prepare for site construction.

Feb. 22, 1996 — Pryor announces a $10 million FAA grant to begin site grading and drainage work.

July 18, 1996 — Bumpers announces his request for priority funding for the regional airport has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in appropriations FFY-95 and FFY-96.

Sept. 10, 1996 — Gov. Mike Huckabee announces a $6 million state grant from the Industry and Aerospace Development Fund for construction of the new airport.

Jan. 2, 1997 — Bumpers and Pryor announce the FAA would issue a $29.5 million Letter of Intent for construction funding.

Feb. 3, 1997 — FAA issues its letter of intent to fund.

Feb. 19, 1997 — Sixty local businesses and industries sign a commitment to deliver their $46.4 million per year in commercial air service to the regional airport. The commitment includes encouraging their vendors to move their $26.7 million per year in air travel to the new airport.

Aug. 9, 1997 — Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.) announces the issuance of a $7 million grant from the FAA, the final grant necessary to complete construction of the airport.

May 26, 1998 — American Eagle signs unusually lucrative five-year contract with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. Included are special concessions to attract the airline including restructured rental charges and $423,360 in reimbursed advertising and moving costs.

May 1998 — The FAA issues a special waiver allowing the new airport to circumvent requirements to collect a passenger facility charge based on American Eagle’s boardings at Fayetteville’s Drake Field.

July 1998 — Construction of 8,800-foot runway and airport taxiway is completed.

July 1998 — New instrument landing system is flight checked.

September 1998 — Control tower and fire station construction are completed. Flight check system is turned over to the FAA for inspection.

October 1998 — Air field is on schedule to open.

Nov. 1, 1998 — All public areas of the terminal building are on schedule to be opened. Airport will be operational for commercial flights.

Nov. 1, 1998 — American Eagle is scheduled to begin three flights daily to Chicago if the airport is operational. The company plans to phase in flights to Dallas-Fort Worth so that by Nov. 14 all flights will be from the new regional airport.

December 1998 or January 1999 — Construction of administrative offices within the terminal building is expected to be completed and airport is expected to be fully operational.