BENTONVILLE, AR. - Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is reaching out to the community for donations to help its Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers. These dedicated officers are continuing to work at the airport despite facing missed paychecks due to a partial federal government shutdown.
The shutdown, now in its fifth week since mid-February, has caused a funding shortage for the Department of Homeland Security. This means TSA officers across the country, including the 92 working at XNA, are not receiving their regular pay, even as the busy spring break travel season gets underway.
XNA is joining several other airports nationwide that have started donation drives to support their screening staff. The airport is asking the Northwest Arkansas community to show its appreciation for the TSA team.
Those interested in helping can donate food or gift cards. To ensure fairness, XNA requires that all gift cards be identical so that every officer receives the same support. For more details on how to donate, please contact Olivia Tyler by email: olivia.tyler@flyxna.com.
A spokesperson previously explained that TSA staff received their last full paycheck on February 17th, and received a partial payment on March 9th. Their first full missed paycheck is anticipated on March 23.
Despite the challenges, XNA has been busy. The airport saw about 8% more flights the week of March 16 compared to the same time last year, with no cancellations reported in the past 24 hours. While some of this growth is natural for the airport, XNA's steady flight volume stands out when compared to similar regional airports like Tulsa, Springfield-Branson, Asheville, and Little Rock, which have reported declines and some cancellations during the same period.
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