Texarkana's Wildest Radio Station!
Texarkana's Wildest Radio Station!
July 30, 2026
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Travelers flying out of Texarkana this fall will need to plan around a full shutdown of the airfield.
Texarkana Regional Airport expects to close both of its runways for about 15 days beginning around Sept. 23 as crews carry out a major runway improvement project. Commercial and general aviation flights will be suspended for the duration. Helicopters will still be able to operate.
Airport officials say American Airlines has known about the planned closure for roughly two years and will not sell tickets for Texarkana flights during that window. Passengers should not expect last-minute service during the shutdown.
The work is part of a long-planned effort to strengthen and extend the main runway so the airport can handle substantially larger aircraft. Runway 4/22, the primary runway, currently measures about 6,601 feet. Plans call for extending the runway and taxiway and adding a pavement overlay capable of supporting widebody jets such as the Boeing 777.
Airport leadership has described the runway work as the foundation for the airport's next phase: cargo operations and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. Officials have said the maintenance side of the business could eventually bring as many as 160 jobs to the region. An aircraft paint company has been identified as the first prospective tenant for planned hangar space.
The project has been assembled from multiple funding sources over several years, including appropriations from the state of Arkansas, the state of Texas and the federal government. The runway itself is expected to be finished in January 2027.
The airport is owned jointly by Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, through the Texarkana Regional Airport Authority, and sits about three miles northeast of downtown Texarkana, Arkansas. Its Jim E. Yates Terminal, a roughly $49 million facility, opened in 2024.
Construction schedules commonly shift, and the September date is approximate. Travelers with fall trips should confirm dates directly with the airport and with their airline before booking.
Texarkana Regional Airport: 870-774-2171 | flytxk.com