FAYETTEVILLE — Municipal airports within a 20-mile radius of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville are banking on increased air traffic and fuel-sales touchdowns this fall when football games start.
More than 300,000 fans from outside Northwest Arkansas traveled to football games during the 2015 season, according to the most recent study from the University of Arkansas Center for Business and Economic Research.
That means visitors made up more than 70 percent of stadium attendance that year. Three municipal airports — Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers — see the bulk of benefit from game day fliers, but other city-owned airports in the region also get some residual benefit.
Air traffic at Fayetteville’s Drake Field usually increases by 500 to 1,000 landings each month during football season, said Summer Fallen, airport director.
Already this year, Drake Field has reported a 40 percent increase in fuel sales. The Fayetteville City Council earlier this month approved an emergency request for 20 loads of jet fuel, about 143,000 gallons, to cover the rest of the year. And that’s before UA football season starts Saturday.
A new Razorbacks coaching staff raises new possibilities that energize the aviation community, Fallen said. Fans like to take advantage of the free shuttle service from the airport in south Fayetteville to the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on campus, about 5 miles away, she said.
The Razorbacks will play six football games in Fayetteville this year.
“Regardless, you’re going to have an influx of traffic because everybody loves to watch the Razorbacks,” she said. “It’s a fun time of the year, and it gives people a reason to utilize their aircraft.”
Rusty Henderson, a veterinarian in Fort Smith and pilot of about 20 years, said he and his wife decided a few years ago to fly their Grumman American Tiger single-engine plane to the games.
Flying a pleasant 30 minutes easily beats a 11⁄2-hour drive in heavy traffic on game days, Henderson said.
“I just, frankly, hate to drive on Razorback game days. It’s just crazy,” he said. “We did the tailgating thing when we were younger, and it got to the point where we just want to come up for the games.”
The Hendersons take the shuttle to and from the stadium and avoid the hike through the crowds. Shuttles are ready to go when the game’s over. The time saved alone is worth it, Henderson said.
“It comes up about the same,” he said. “It costs a little more to fly, but after you figure in parking, time and traffic — heck, we can leave the football game and be home in time to watch the end of the LSU game on TV.”
Henderson grew up in Arkansas and graduated from Louisiana State University. His wife is a die-hard Razorback fan.
The Fayetteville airport has had just more than $1 million in fuel sales so far this year. That’s about $445,000 shy of what it made all of last year and about $120,000 short of the 2016 total. About 317,550 gallons of jet fuel were sold through July, compared with about 227,250 gallons during the same period last year. That’s the highest volume since 2006, Fallen said. Aside from football game air traffic, a big reason for the Fayetteville airport’s increase is Jett Aircraft, which started leasing space at the terminal in 2016. The company gained a charter flight license this summer, expanding services from aircraft rental management to private journeys, said Beth Casey with Jett.
Calls from customers came in pretty quickly once Jett got its license, Casey said. The company serves businesses that need to get their employees out and about, she said.
Springdale’s airport offers a free shuttle service, snacks and discounted rates for football fans, said Susanne Beckett with Summit Aviation. Summit provides fueling, hangar and other services for the Springdale airport.
“What people may not realize is that Springdale municipal airport is merely 10 miles away
from the stadium, so by offering the free shuttle, it allows people to start their tailgating the moment they walk off the plane,” Beckett said.
“The pilots are taken care of with food and a comfortable place to relax and are ready for takeoff upon the arrival of fans back from the game,” she said.
Rogers has some additional traffic on game days, although the amount often varies, said David Krutsch, airport director.
At the Fayetteville airport, more revenue from fuel sales means more money to put toward grant applications for airport improvement, Fallen said. The airport has more than $10 million in improvements budgeted over the next five years, from widening a taxiway to better lighting the airfield. Projects are paid for mostly through matching federal and state grants.
“The long-term goal is to continue to generate enough revenue to be a self-sustaining airport; continue to grow the field and the facilities that are offered in general; and enhance the aviation community in Fayetteville,” she said.