Fort Smith enplanements continue increase

So far, so good.

Enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport total 18,674 for the first quarter of 2011, up 6.7% compared to the same period in 2010.

March enplanements totaled 7,026, up 4.05% compared to March 2010.

Enplanements at the airport totaled 86,129 during 2010, up 9.81% over 2009 — an increase that ended two consecutive years of enplanement declines at the airport.

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.

Delta, flying passengers to and from its Memphis hub, is responsible for the increase at Fort Smith. For the first three months of 2011, Delta enplanements out of Fort Smith total 7,992, up 40% compared to the 2010 period.

Year-to-date, Delta reports 5.506 million passengers in its domestic regional system, down 4.3% compared to the 2010 period.

American Airlines (American Eagle), which connects Fort Smith travelers to Dallas-Fort Worth, had 10,682 enplanements out of Fort Smith during the first three months of 2011, down 9.45% compared to the 2010 period.

American Eagle reported 3.741 million passenger boardings during the first three months of 2011, up 2.3% compared to the 2010 period.

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) also is recovering from two years of consecutive declines. For 2010, the airport had 570,625 enplanements, up 5.49% over 2009. Enplanements for the first two months of 2011 total 77,933, up 6.73% compared to the 2010 period. (As of April 11, XNA did not have enplanement figures for March.)

Rising fuel prices continue to threaten what has been a recent resurgence of passenger gains in the airline industry, noted John Heimlich, vice president and chief economist for the Air Transport Association.

“Industry revenue growth persisted in February, despite widespread winter storms plaguing airline operations throughout the country, and reflects a strengthening economy and pricing environment buoyed by recent fare hikes attempting to offset rapidly rising energy prices,” Heimlich said in a note about February traffic. “As fuel prices remain at or near historically high levels, U.S. airlines may experience a more challenging revenue environment.”

ENPLANEMENT HISTORY (Fort Smith Regional Airport, since 2000)
2010: 86,129
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