Fort Smith airport traffic sees big decline in November

November passenger traffic at the Fort Smith Regional Airport fell 26.3 percent compared to November 2007. This follows a 20.5 percent decline in October traffic compared to the previous year.

According to airport information, only 6,345 people enplaned at the airport in November, a number lower than even the 6,642 who traveled in November 2001.

For the year, 80,287 have flown out of the airport, an almost 12 percent decline compared to the same period in 2007.

Airport Director John Parker said in early November that the economy is the main culprit in less traffic. He estimated the airport will end the year with 10 percent fewer enplanements than 2007.

The highest annual enplanement total at the airport in the past 10 years was in 1998, with 103,540. That figure dropped to 85,268 in 2002. Total paid enplanements in 2007 improved to 96,137.

The once booming Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) also is seeing a decline in enplanements. That airport posted 42,103 enplanements in November, down 17.5 percent from November 2007.

For the year, XNA has recorded 527,853 enplanements, down 4.3 percent from the same period in 2007. Barring an incredibly active December, XNA is likely to see its first annual enplanement decline since 1999 — the first full year of operations at XNA.