Fort Smith enplanements up over 2009

April brought a slimmer of hope that enplanements out of the Fort Smith Regional Airport may begin to improve.

The airport posted 6,964 enplanements in April, up 8.6% compared to April 2009. Enplanements total 24,467 for the first four months of the year, up 0.53% over the same period in 2009.

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 2008 traffic total was the lowest at the airport in the past 10 years.

Airport Director John Parker reminded that the April 2010 numbers are compared to an April 2009 that had one more carrier.

“You will remember that last year at this time there were three airlines serving our community, American Eagle, Northwest and Delta. Delta and Northwest had merged but operated separately until combining in June 2009 leaving two airlines in our market,” Parker said.

Delta reported that its regional carriers had 2.07 million boardings in April, virtually the same as April 2009. American Eagle reported 1.356 million boardings in April, up 3.7% compared to April 2009. Also, American Eagle reports that boardings for the first four months of the year (5.014 million) are up 4.9% over the same period in 2009.

Parker said anecdotal evidence suggests business travel is beginning to return. If true, he said the Fort Smith regional economy will see benefits in many other areas than just the airport.

“Airline station managers have said they think there is more business travel on their airlines recently. Each airline said they have seen an improvement over last year in their entire system,” Parker explained. “We are causally optimistic about the improved commercial traffic numbers and hope that rising fuel prices do not affect pricing in the future.”

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) also is seeing a reversal of fortunes that saw the airport post two consecutive years of enplanement declines. XNA had 120,908 enplanements for the first quarter of 2010, up 11.3% over the 2009 period.

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