Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (Photo courtesy of XNA Northwest Arkansas National Airport Facebook page)
A collection of federal grants and a change in how much cash is kept in reserve means the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority has a wad of cash for its proposed renovation of the Bentonville airport terminal, a committee heard Sept. 14.
"To give you a rough idea, we're sitting there in the starting gate with about $30 million," Tim O'Donnell, the chief financial officer of Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), told its governing body's Finance Committee members.
He added that the authority had about $44 million in cash as of the end of August. It has received about $17 million in federal grants that can be used for the project and expects to get about $8.8 million more. Another $3.7 million in entitlement funds comes to the authority each year that can be put toward projects at the airport.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Fayetteville reported the cost of the XNA terminal expansion project is expected to be about $47.8 million, with a target completion date tentatively set for January 2025. The airport hopes to start construction as early as this coming January.
Besides enlarging the terminal, contractors will add an upper-level walkway/bridge, replace and add escalators, and update the baggage handling system. A new arrivals lobby project was merged in 2021 with a skybridge project that links the terminal and parking deck.
To improve the airport experience for inbound and outbound passengers, XNA installed new power outlets in 255 seats within the terminal, officials announced Sept. 14. They were added after feedback from the public showed that one of their biggest issues at the airport was a lack of places to plug in their devices while waiting for flights.
The plan to add a second concourse to the terminal has been placed on hold after federal officials said they do not plan to help pay for it because there is not currently a need for the extra gates. That is due to enplanements at XNA decreasing during the Covid-19 pandemic and not yet enough recovery to pre-pandemic levels, airport officials told the Democrat-Gazette.
The airport's Authority Board received a recommendation from its Operations Committee to pause the second concourse project for up to 30 months at the end of the conceptual design phase. Officials say they want to complete plans for the project so it will be ready to go when the number of enplanements trend back up.
Aaron Burkes, the airport's CEO, said it can better use the existing concourse and improve turnaround times between flights at existing gates before another concourse is needed.
"Right now, it's not a problem," Burkes told the Fayetteville newspaper.
New Control Tower in the Wings
The airport authority also is planning to build a new, 135-ft. control tower at XNA, expected to cost about $15.9 million, and with a completion slated for April 2025. The airport has been using what was supposed to be a temporary tower since the facility opened in 1995.
As part of the tower's exterior look, officials hope to mirror the glass and steel visual design elements proposed for the skybridge as part of the terminal renovation project.
"If you really think about it, this will be the tallest structure in this entire area for several miles," said Nick Fondano, XNA's chief infrastructure officer. "It will give a good representation and visual perspective to people in northwest Arkansas as they come here."
The new tower also could end up being home to the airport's communication center if there is enough room available. The old tower will likely be torn down after the new one is operational, unless officials can find an alternative use for it.
Planners are taking a preliminary look at adding another 606 paved parking spots south of the airport's current parking areas, which include 3,017 spaces. A conceptual design has already been commissioned.
Possible headwinds for all construction projects include inflation, which is driving up construction costs across the board, airport executives told the Democrat-Gazette.
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