Fort Smith airport traffic up in August, down through first eight months

August enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport were up almost 2% in August, but traffic out of the airport between January and August continues to trail activity from the same period in 2024.

The airport reported 5,513 enplanements in August, up 1.8% compared with the 5,413 in August 2024, and also above the 5,333 in August 2023.

Between January and August, the airport reported 40,906 enplanements, down 0.3% compared with the 41,049 in the same period of 2024. The numbers are up 2.8% compared with the same eight-month period in 2023.

Total traffic – enplanements and deplanements – totaled 80,483 between January and August, down 0.6% compared with the same period in 2024.

American Airlines, the only carrier providing service at Fort Smith, had 10.186 million enplanements in August, up 4% compared with August 2024, according to Flight Business Intelligence.

Northwest Arkansas National Airport enplanements totaled 831,082 between January and August, up 13.2% compared with the same period in 2024.

AIRPORT HISTORY
Enplanements at the airport in 2024 totaled 61,409, up 1.2% compared with the 60,669 enplanements in 2023. The 2024 tally is down 35.8% compared with 2019 when those traveling out of the airport totaled 95,670. Enplanements fell to 38,660 in 2020.

Fort Smith enplanements were on a growth trend prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time enplanements topped 100,000 was in 2005 with 102,607. The enplanement record is 112,782 set in 1975.

American Airlines had four to five flights a day in 2021 but has reduced its schedule to three flights a day. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines stopped its direct service to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in July 2020.

Following are the previous 10 years of Fort Smith enplanement totals.
2024: 61,409
2023: 60,669
2022: 61,719
2021: 47,287
2020: 38,660
2019: 95,670
2018: 90,501
2017: 89,582
2016: 87,488
2015: 86,704