ROGERS — The Rogers Executive Airport has received the Airport of the Year Award from the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Aeronautics.
Airport Director David R. Krutsch also received the Airport Manager of the Year Award.
The honors were presented during the Arkansas Airport Operators Association’s annual conference, which was held Sept. 21-23 in Rogers, according to a Thursday news release from the city.
Krutsch credited both honors to the collective work of airport staff, the Airport Commission, city leadership and the partners supporting daily operations and long-term development at the airport. Those partners include the Federal Aviation Administration, Arkansas Division of Aeronautics, congressional delegation, Beaver Lake Aviation, Walmart Aviation, airport consultants, air traffic controllers, city departments and utilities, and airport tenants and customers, according to the release.
“This award reflects the recognition of our collective success built on the hard work, dedication and support of all involved,” Krutsch said.
The recognition comes amid growth as aircraft operations have increased 80% from the airport’s 2021 pandemic low, while fuel sales increased 62.4% from 2021 to 2025, according to airport data.
In 2025, the airport’s busiest day recorded 209 takeoffs and landings during air traffic control tower hours. Its peak hour recorded 43 operations, an average of one takeoff or landing approximately every 84 seconds.
Business aviation accounts for most activity at the airport, alongside visitors traveling to the region’s recreation and cultural destinations, according to the release.
The ongoing east-side expansion is expected to add approximately 175,000 square feet of hangar space, an increase of roughly 58% over the airport’s approximately 300,000-square-foot baseline. Plans for the first phase of west-side development call for approximately 150,000 square feet of additional hangar space.
Airport leadership anticipates doubling capacity over the next five to 10 years, subject to economic conditions and the pace of development.
“When a business chooses to invest in Northwest Arkansas, reliable access to the region matters,” Mayor Greg Hines said. “Rogers Executive Airport is part of what makes that investment possible. As demand grows, we’re preparing the airport to serve the businesses already here and the opportunities still ahead.”
The Federal Aviation Administration’s fiscal year 2026 Airport Infrastructure Grant announcement lists $2.3 million for hangar construction or expansion at Rogers Executive Airport–Carter Field, the release states.
Other airport investments include taxiway lighting and signage improvements, a new electrical vault, snow-removal equipment and air traffic control tower communications and backup weather equipment upgrades. The communications and weather equipment upgrades were completed in summer 2025.
The airport features a 6,011-foot runway, an air traffic control tower, an instrument landing system, onsite aircraft rescue and firefighting protection, and full-service aviation support through Beaver Lake Aviation.
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/oct/08/rogers-executive-airport-named-airport-of-the