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New NWA Council Program Hopes To Bring In More Regional Flyers

HIGHFILL, Ark. (KFSM) — The Northwest Arkansas Council has announced a new program to help bring more travelers to the airport. The goal of the FareFlightNWA pr...
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HIGHFILL, Ark. (KFSM) — The Northwest Arkansas Council has announced a new program to help bring more travelers to the airport.

The goal of the FareFlightNWA program is to increase how many people fly from XNA, making the airport more attractive to airlines considering XNA as a place to start service and as a place to expand services that are already provided.

The program includes a cost comparison calculator, allowing visitors to determine the true cost of flying from XNA versus Tulsa and Kansas City airports once gasoline, parking fees and other costs are factored in.

The website also includes information about why prioritizing XNA is a direct benefit to the region and how flying from XNA contributes to the local economy.

“While existing carriers offer excellent access for area residents, XNA has some of the highest fares in the country, making it a less attractive option,” said Northwest Arkansas Council President and CEO Nelson Peacock.

“The price of air travel is a key consideration, but XNA offers significant conveniences over other airports located many miles away, and there are acceptable fares available at XNA. Our goal is to highlight the benefits of XNA and publicize low fares anytime they become available.”

Airline ticket prices have deterred flyers from using XNA for years.

The average domestic roundtrip costs more than $500 most years, and information kept by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows XNA’s passengers spent $120 to $190 per roundtrip above the national average in each of the past four years.

That premium — the gap between the national average and the XNA average — has cost XNA travelers more than $100 million in each of the past four years.

The program comes just a few weeks before low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines begins flights from XNA to Denver. Allegiant Air, which has offered low-cost flights for years, continues to expand at XNA and starts a new nonstop flight to Nashville this week.

Click here for more information on the money saving program.

Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed the program to XNA, not the Northwest Arkansas Council.

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