Fort Smith Regional Airport

What Fort Smith Regional Airport does

Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is a municipal airport owned and operated by the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas, situated on approximately 1,400 acres and serving as the primary commercial passenger terminal for the Arkansas River Valley region, a catchment of roughly 220,000 citizens across eight counties in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The airport operates a single 52,200-square-foot passenger terminal (completed 2002 at ~$12.8M), three runways (including a 9,318-foot runway 8/26 extended in 2023), and an ARFF station, governed by a seven-member Airport Commission under the City of Fort Smith since 1977. Its commercial passenger service is exclusively provided by American Airlines, currently operating three daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth with a fourth daily flight and larger aircraft scheduled for late May 2026; American Airlines is the airport's sole scheduled carrier.

The airport's business model combines recurring airline lease and landing fees (from American Airlines), transaction-based parking revenue (operated by Republic Parking at up to $11/day), marketplace concession commissions from five on-site car rental agencies (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National), rideshare and taxi ground transportation integrations, and commercial land leases along Phoenix Avenue. Ancillary services include TSA PreCheck monthly enrollment, security badging through the AirBadge online portal, and general aviation support via Signature Flight Support FBO. Approximately 16 full-time and part-time employees administer operations. Marketing is limited to the flyfsm.com website, Facebook presence, and community outreach including school tours.

A defining strategic dimension is the airport's co-location with Ebbing Air National Guard Base (home to the Arkansas Air National Guard 188th Wing), which since September 2024 has served as the U.S. Air Force's premier Foreign Military Sales training center for international F-35 and F-16 fighter pilots, with allied aircrews arriving from Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Finland. An Airport Joint Use Agreement (AJUA) between the airport and the U.S. Air Force, estimated 98% complete and proposed at a five-year term, formalizes shared costs, security protocols, and operational control. This dual-use military-civilian posture is a distinctive structural feature that differentiates Fort Smith from typical regional airports and underpins both enplanement growth (62,369 in 2025, +1.56% YoY) and runway/infrastructure investment rationale.

Name

Fort Smith Regional Airport

Legal name

Fort Smith Regional Airport

Website

https://flyfsm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fort Smith Regional Airport is a municipal airport in Arkansas operated by the City of Fort Smith, serving as the sole commercial passenger terminal for 220,000 regional citizens via American Airlines daily DFW service, while co-locating with Ebbing Air National Guard Base, the U.S. Air Force's F-35/F-16 Foreign Military Sales pilot training center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Airport Services

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121), Air Transportation (481)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHABAFAH

Private Aviation Terminals & FBO Services

Travel & Hospitality/Airlines & Air Travel/Private Aviation (Business Jets & Air Taxi)

SECONDARYBPAKAMAG

Security Operations Center (SOC) / Airport Security Command & Control

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Aviation Security Services

SECONDARYTHABADAG

Government, Diplomatic & Military Passenger Charter Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Airlines & Air Travel/Charter Airlines (Passenger & ACMI)

Keywords

• Passenger air travel
• Commercial aviation services
• Military pilot training
• General aviation FBO
• Airport ground transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Smith

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Airline Leases and Fees: Airlines lease space from the airport to operate their business. American Airlines operates as the primary commercial passenger airline serving the airport.
2. Parking Operations: Short-term and long-term parking in a combined paved lot operated by Republic Parking. Revenue from hourly and daily parking fees.
3. Rental Car Concessions: Car rental agencies (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National) operate from the terminal building with concession agreements.
4. Land Leasing: Commercial development sites available for lease including hangar facilities, aircraft maintenance facilities, retail centers, hotels, and office complexes with frontage along Phoenix Avenue and Interstate 540.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fort Smith Regional Airport operates a 52,200 square-foot passenger terminal providing commercial airline service exclusively via American Airlines with daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, general aviation Fixed Base Operator services through Signature Flight Support, and military operations support at the adjacent Ebbing Air National Guard Base serving as the U.S. Air Force Foreign Military Sales training center for F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots. The airport also provides parking (operated by Republic Parking), terminal car rental concessions, ground transportation facilitation, security badging services, TSA PreCheck enrollment events, and commercial land leasing for aviation-related development.

Product overview

Fort Smith Regional Airport operates as a single-facility regional airport offering a unified portfolio of passenger and aviation services. The core offering is the 52,200 square foot passenger terminal (completed 2002) providing commercial airline service exclusively through American Airlines to Dallas-Fort Worth, supported by ground transportation integrations with UBER, LYFT, and five car rental agencies (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National). General aviation services are provided through Signature Flight Support FBO. Military operations at the adjacent Ebbing Air National Guard Base support international F-16 and F-35 pilot training. The airport also offers ancillary services including parking (Republic Parking), security badging (AirBadge system), and TSA PreCheck enrollment. Commercial development opportunities exist through land leasing programs. The airport has no public API, no AI/ML capabilities, and does not appear to offer any software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.3% increase in enplanements through February 2026 compared to same period in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Air Force (Airport Joint Use Agreement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Fort Smith Regional Airport is close to signing an Airport Joint Use Agreement (AJUA) with the U.S. Air Force to support pilot training with F-35 and F-16 aircraft, involving shared costs, security protocols, and operational control with a proposed five-year term. The agreement is estimated to be 98% complete.
• U.S. Air ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024The Fort Smith Regional Airport is home to the Arkansas Air National Guard 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard Base. Beginning September 2024, Ebbing serves as the U.S. Air Force's premier training site for international F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots. The airport is actively aiding infrastructure to support this mission including coordination with military and federal partners to ensure operational readiness.
• International Allied Forces (Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Finland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForeign Military Sales (FMS) training center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base brings allied aircrews from around the world to Fort Smith for F-35 and F-16 pilot training.
• 314th Airlift Wing (Little Rock Air Force Base)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe airport supports training activity from the 314th Airlift Wing located at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, AR, which supports the only C-130 training function in the Department of Defense.
• American AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Airlines operates as the primary commercial passenger airline at Fort Smith Regional Airport, providing daily flights between Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Fort Smith with connections to thousands of destinations worldwide.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationTSA provides airport security screening services at the terminal. Contact: 479-452-2371.
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)coreTechnology or IntegrationFAA operates the air traffic control tower at the airport and provides regulatory oversight. Contact: 479-649-2400 for Air Traffic Control Tower, 800-992-7433 for Automated Flight Service Station.
• Signature Flight SupportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFixed Base Operations (FBO) offering fueling and aircraft ground support, major airframe and powerplant maintenance, and hangar space rental. Military fuel contract in force. Contact: 479-646-1611.
• Republic Parking SystemminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates the airport parking lot providing short-term and long-term parking services. Contact: 479-353-3626.
• Car Rental Agencies (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCar rental agencies located in the passenger terminal building providing ground transportation options for arriving passengers.
• Fort Smith Flying ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-profit organization promoting flying and flight training in the Arkansas River Valley region. Membership open to pilots and student pilots.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA): Closest in-state regional airport peer, also serving the Arkansas River Valley-adjacent region with commercial passenger service. Competes for the same catchment of regional travelers and offers a useful benchmark for enplanement scale, route strategy, and concession economics.
• Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT): Arkansas's primary commercial airport and Little Rock-based state capital facility. Provides direct competitive context for commercial passenger service in Arkansas and offers a scale-up comparison for FSM's enplanement trajectory.
• Tulsa International Airport: Nearby larger regional airport in neighboring Oklahoma. Competes with FSM for passenger leakage, supports both commercial and general aviation, and operates FBO services — a benchmark for FSM's next-stage commercial expansion potential.
• Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport (Forney Field, TBN): Small regional airport co-located with Fort Leonard Wood military base, providing an analogous dual civilian-military use case. Comparable for understanding how military training missions stabilize small-airport utilization and infrastructure investment.
• Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF): Similar-size mid-size regional airport with comparable enplanement scale, low-cost and legacy carrier mix, and an active general aviation mission. Useful benchmark for non-aeronautical revenue mix and FBO economics at airports of comparable scale.
• Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV): Mid-size regional airport with similar military-civilian dual use (Barksdale AFB proximity) and a comparable commercial service profile. Particularly relevant peer for understanding dual-use economics and FBO/ARFF infrastructure cost dynamics.
• Texarkana Regional Airport (Webb Field): Small regional airport serving a similar cross-state catchment with limited commercial service. Direct comparator for FSM's enplanement base, sole-carrier dependency, and capital-investment prioritization.
• Joplin Regional Airport (JLN): Small regional airport in the same four-state region with similar enplanement scale and limited commercial service. Direct peer for understanding small-airport economics, single-carrier dependency, and concession performance.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Aviation: Largest U.S. FBO network and competitor to Signature Flight Support for general aviation services at regional airports. Provides context for FSM's general aviation revenue potential and competitive positioning against nationwide FBO operators.

Others

• Signature Flight Support: FSM's on-airport FBO partner operating general aviation fueling, ground support, and hangar rentals. As one of the world's largest FBO networks, it provides a benchmark for FBO economics, fuel-flowage fees, and military fuel contracting at similar regional airports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fortsmithregionalairport

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fort Smith Regional Airport