September traffic up 25.7% at Fort Smith airport

One of the few places of proof the recession is over is at the Fort Smith Regional Airport, where a September enplanement increased marked the fourth consecutive month of comparative gains.

September saw 7,340 enplanements in Fort Smith, up an impressive 25.7% over the 5,836 in September 2009. The September traffic followed a 17.5% increase in August, an 8.6% gains in July and June.

Enplanements total 63,711 for the first nine months of 2010, up 6.5%% from the 59,816 for the same period in 2009.

American Eagle reported enplanements of 1.375 million in September, up 2.5% over September 2009. Year-to-date, American Eagle enplanements are up 1%. Delta, the other carrier at the airport, did not have its September report as of Oct. 6.

Traffic at the regional airport has seen two years of consecutive dips. Enplanements in 2009 at the Fort Smith airport totaled 78,432, down 9.8% from the 87,030 enplanements in 2008. Passenger enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport totaled 87,030 in 2008, down 12.2% from the 99,127 enplanements in 2007. The 2009 traffic total was the lowest at the airport in the past 10 years.

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) is also recovering from two years of consecutive declines. For the first eight months of 2010 (XNA had not reported September traffic as of Oct. 6), the airport had 375,670 enplanements, up 4.64% over the 359,001 in the 2009 period.

The Air Transport Association, the trade organization for the commercial aviation industry, reported Sept. 20 that August marked eighth consecutive month of revenue growth for the sector. However, ATA President and CEO James May is uncertain about future prospects.

“Spending on air travel remains well above last year’s depressed levels, but the industry is wary of a possible slowdown in the nation’s economic recovery as it enters the traditionally slower fall period,” May noted in this statement.

PAST DECADE OF ENPLANEMENTS (Fort Smith Regional Airport)
2009: 78,432
2008: 87,030
2007: 99,127
2006: 94,717
2005: 102,607
2004: 92,928
2003: 90,493
2002: 87,944
2001: 95,419
2000: 104,182