Texarkana Regional Airport reports modest Q3 surplus; enplanements, parking and rental car revenue climb

Texarkana Regional Airport Director Paul Merlick reported Q3 fiscal figures to the city council on Nov. 12, saying the airport showed a small operating surplus and several revenue lines are improving.

Merlick reported January–September revenues of $2,213,089 and expenditures of $2,146,776, leaving a positive difference of $6,313. He said that figure "includes the subsidies that we get from both cities." For operations, the airport recorded 12,985 takeoffs and landings and 28,237 enplanements through September. Parking revenue was $262,888, rental‑car revenue $232,558 and landing‑fee revenue $57,212.

Merlick said the airport has tracked operations back to 2015 and that operations have declined in recent years, citing higher fuel prices and weaker general aviation activity. He noted the load factor — the percentage of seats filled on commercial flights — averaged 74 percent in the period and that airlines typically look for about an 80 percent load factor before discussing additional service. "They do want to see our numbers increase to about 80% before we'll start discussing adding either a 3rd flight back to Dallas or going into the Charlotte market," Merlick told the council.

Merlick also reported Signature Aviation, the fixed‑base operator on the field, sold about 451,000 gallons of fuel this year; the city collects a fuel flowage fee on those sales. The airport has begun charging landing fees for all aircraft over 12,500 pounds, which changed landing‑fee revenue compared with pre‑COVID practice.

Merlick said the airport's next board meeting will be Dec. 5 and that briefings like his will be included in council informational packets going forward.