January traffic up almost 2% at the Fort Smith Regional Airport
by February 12, 2026 11:34 am 332 views
Enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport were up almost 2% in January despite several days of severe winter weather disrupting air travel nationwide. The January gain follows a 1.56% enplanement increase in 2025 compared with 2024.
January enplanements totaled 4,362, up 1.9% compared with 4,280 in January 2024, according to airport information. More than 11,000 flights were canceled nationwide on Jan. 26, the highest one-day total since the COVID pandemic, according to Cirium.
“Heavy winter weather impacted travel across the region, but overall demand for air service remains steady, and we appreciate the continued support of our travelers,” said Airport Director Andrew Meyer.
The January traffic also was more than what was reported in January 2024 (4,012 enplanements) and 2023 (4,192).
Enplanements at the airport in 2025 totaled 62,369, up 1.56% compared with 61,409 in 2024, and better than 60,669 enplanements in 2023. The 2025 tally is down 34.8% 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 about three flights a day to Dallas-Fort Worth. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines stopped its direct service to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in July 2020.
The airport received a $1.145 million grant in August 2022 from the Small Community Air Service Development Program of the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit a route to Chicago or another northeastern market. The grant is good for 10 years. The airport contracted with Middleton, Wisc.-based Mead & Hunt to help recruit more flights and add new markets.
Following are the previous 11 years of Fort Smith enplanement totals.
2025: 62,369
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