FAYETTEVILLE -- Travelers will soon have more places to park their cars at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.
The airport's board on Wednesday approved a $15.5 million operating budget for next year that includes money for about 500 surface parking spaces and design work on what could become a three-story 1,100-space parking deck.
At A Glance
Airport Employees
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport’s board met Wednesday approved a compensation package for 34 airport positions. The package includes:
• A 2 percent increase to the pay range for all positions.
• Modifications to seven employees’ salaries whose pay fell below the position minimum because of the pay range shift.
• Average 3 percent raises based on performance evaluations in 2015.
• An additional personal day, bringing the total number of holidays for airport employees to eight per year.
Source: Staff Report
The number of passengers aboard departing flights at XNA was up 10.4 percent through the first 11 months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, according to figures presented Wednesday. Airport officials expect a 2.4 percent jump in "enplanements" next year.
Scott Van Laningham, XNA's executive director and CEO, said the growth in take-offs and departures is driving the need for more parking.
He said the airport essentially ran out of parking during a day this summer when about 300 spaces were being resurfaced. XNA's economy lot was filled over the Thanksgiving holiday, Van Laningham added. The airport's long-term lot had to be used as overflow.
Kelly Johnson, airport director, said a 400-space addition on the south end of the economy lot, along with 80 spaces that will be freed up in the intermediate lot once a new agreement with rental car companies takes effect, should provide ample parking for the next few years. Another 11 spaces are being added to the airport's contract lot, where frequent fliers pay a set monthly fee and get unlimited access.
The additions will increase XNA's 3,073 customer parking spaces by roughly 16.3 percent.
Construction on the surface lots, which is expected to cost about $2.4 million, will begin after July 1, when XNA becomes eligible for a $400,000 grant from the Arkansas Aeronautics Commission.
The parking deck timeline is less clear.
Van Laningham said he would like to see all design work completed in 2015 with construction beginning sometime in 2016.
Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities at the University of Arkansas and chairman of the Airport Board's operations committee, said he expects deck construction to last for 16 to 20 months.
The deck is slated to go in northwest of the airport's parking area. Kelly Johnson said it will likely replace a portion of XNA's short-term lot.
Van Laningham said one level of the three-story deck will likely be used by rental car companies. A portion of the project will be paid for with customer facility charges levied on the rental car companies. Van Laningham said the rest of the project will be financed by the airport.
A feasibility study and preliminary design work will be paid for with $3.2 million in airport reserve, leaving about $15 million in XNA's rainy day fund.
"We are fortunate in that we have a very strong cash position," Van Laningham told the board Wednesday.
The bulk of the airport's operating revenue next year will come from parking fees ($4 million); passenger facility charges ($2.6 million); commissions on rental car services ($1.8 million); landing fees ($1.8 million); and rent from airlines ($1.8 million), according to the budget the board approved Wednesday.
Major expenses include debt service ($5.2 million); salaries and benefits ($3.1 million); utilities ($760,000); and maintenance ($580,000).
NW News on 12/18/2014