John Stossel’s tongue‑in‑cheek critique of Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) missed the mark—and he’s never owned up to it. In a segment that ran on ABC's 20/20 in the late 1990's, as the airport was nearing completion,Stossel poked fun at the idea of building a “big” airport in a relatively small market, implying that taxpayer dollars were wasted on a regional project that few would use. Yet the facts tell a very different story.
XNA Is a Booming Success
Since opening in late 1998, XNA has grown from serving just over 300,000 passengers in its first full year to handling 1.15 million travelers in 2024—a record nearly 15.5% higher than the previous best year of 991,489 passengers in 2023. Far from a ghost town of empty gates, XNA now offers direct flights to more than 23 destinations, attracting carriers like American, Allegiant, Frontier, and Breeze and competing head‑to‑head with larger hubs in Little Rock.
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Economic Impact and Regional Growth
XNA’s success has been an engine for Northwest Arkansas’s booming economy. Annual passenger growth supports thousands of local jobs in tourism, hospitality, and airport operations, and makes the region more accessible to businesses recruiting talent. Studies show that each additional nonstop route can generate millions in economic activity by boosting conventions, headquarters relocations, and visitor spending.
Why Stossel’s Joke Falls Flat
Stossel’s segment overlooked these concrete outcomes. His report focusd more on cows than construction, quipped about an “empty runway” and “luxury planes,” but ignored that 1.1 million people chose to fly locally last year—many saving hours and dollars compared to driving to larger airports. He failed to account for the cost‑benefit calculation: when you include reduced road maintenance, lower carbon emissions from shorter drives, and the time value for travelers, XNA’s community payoff is clear. </html>
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