Editor’s note: This story is a component of The Compass Report. The quarterly Compass Report is managed by The City Wire, and sponsored by Arvest Bank. Supporting sponsors of The Compass Report are Cox Communications and the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The traveling public pulled back in May compared to May 2014, with enplanements down at Arkansas’ three largest commercial airports. Of the three airports, only the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) has positive traffic in the January to May period.
Enplanements at XNA totaled 251,389 for the first five months of 2015, up 3.05% compared to the same period in 2014. XNA ended 2014 with 640,537 enplanements, up 10.15% over 2013, and more than the record of 598,886 enplanements in 2007. The 2014 gain also marked the third consecutive year of increased traffic at the airport.
XNA had 57,928 enplanements in May, down just 0.83% compared to May 2014.
The airport is served by five airlines that provide connections to 10 U.S. cities. XNA’s first full year of traffic was 1999, and the airport posted eight consecutive years of enplanement gains before seeing a decline in 2008.
Enplanements at the Fort Smith Regional Airport total 36,065 for the first five months of 2015, down 0.74% compared to the same period in 2014. Enplanements at Fort Smith totaled 92,869 in 2014, up 9.87% compared to 2013.
May enplanements at Fort Smith totaled 7,688, down 8.15% from May 2014. The airport offers flights to Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth through Delta and American Airlines.
The Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock posted enplanements of 379,831 for the first five months of 2015, down 8.67% compared to the same period in 2015. The airport was the only one of Arkansas’ largest commercial airports to not post an enplanement increase in 2014. Enplanements in 2014 totaled 1.038 million, down 4.32% compared to 2013.
May enplanements in Little Rock totaled 90,080, down 9.81% compared to May 2014.
NATIONAL TRAFFIC, SUMMER TRAVEL ESTIMATE
Airlines for America, the trade association for most of the major airlines, predicts summer airline travel (June 1 - Aug. 31) will increase 4.6% in the U.S. compared to actual traffic in the 2014 period. According to the trade group, an estimated 2.4 million people a day will fly on U.S. carriers during the summer period. The group predicted Spring travel would rise to its highest mark in seven years, reaching 132.2 million passengers during May and April.
Official U.S. airline traffic data reported by the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics is updated through March. The latest report, posted June 12, said U.S. enplanements were up 0.9% in March compared to February, and marked a return to pre-recession travel levels.
“March is the first post-recession month among the top 10 all-time highest months for domestic enplanements,” the federal agency reported.
And according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, passenger air transportation activity in the U.S. during the first quarter was up 3.9% after declining 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2014. Overall, real spending (economic output) on travel and tourism slowed in the first quarter of 2015 to a 2% pace of growth after posting a revised 4.9% rate in the fourth quarter of 2014
ENPLANEMENT HISTORY (Fort Smith Regional Airport, since 2000)
2014: 92,869
2013: 84,520
2012: 86,653
2011: 86,234
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
ENPLANEMENT HISTORY (Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, since 2000)
2014: 640,537
2013: 581,487
2012: 565,045
2011: 562,747
2010: 570,625
2009: 540,918
2008: 571,845
2007: 598,886
2006: 586,320
2005: 583,940
2004: 511,714
2003: 448,228
2002: 400,063
2001: 374,122
2000: 367,157