The establishment of XNA was driven by the need to accommodate the region's growing population and economic activities. Prior to XNA, Drake Field in Fayetteville was the primary airport, but its operational limitations prompted the search for a more capable facility. In 1990, the Northwest Arkansas Council, a private, non-profit organization, was formed with Alice L. Walton as its first chairperson. Under her leadership, the Council initiated efforts that led to the creation of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, which included representatives from Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Springdale, and Benton and Washington counties. This collaborative approach culminated in the opening of XNA on November 1, 1998, featuring a single terminal and runway.

In 2023, the Arkansas General Assembly passed legislation allowing regional airport authorities to detach from municipalities without requiring annexation by another municipality. Consequently, on September 19, 2023, XNA initiated the process to detach from the city of Highfill, aiming for equitable regional benefit for all five cities and two counties.

In 2025, XNA set a passenger record, serving 2,524,256 passengers, up 10% from 2024.

Expansion

In 2007, airport officials announced the construction of a new concourse costing between $20 million and $25 million. The new facility, east of the upper concourse, has allowed the airport to increase its number of airplane parking positions from twelve to twenty. Building the new facility took over three years.

The airport completed a ticket counter expansion in 2010. The airport completed a $21 million expansion to the upper-level concourse that includes the state's first moving walkway. With the walkway, it is anticipated to take about three minutes to get from security to the last gate. The addition adds 51,000 square feet (4,700 m2) and twelve upper-level gates to the east side of the airport. The moving walkway, however, is projected to soon be scrapped. Airport officials announced that additional seating and a children's play area will be placed in its current location.

The airport was previously known as Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. It adopted the name Northwest Arkansas National Airport in December 2019. Airport officials attributed the change to perception, saying that the new name would help attract more airline service.

On September 23, 2021, it was announced that Board members took the first steps toward adding a second concourse. The board voted to have staff negotiate with Fentress Architects for conceptual drawings for the first phase of Concourse B. The design work will cost about $185,000. The new concourse would allow the airport to use its boarding gates more efficiently. The Board is contemplating bringing some gates on Concourse A back into use for certain aircraft sizes and redesigning others. Phase One would include an elevated walkway, a hold room for passengers and a covered walkway out to a ground-level loading area onto the aircraft. Construction of the project is estimated to cost roughly $35 million to $50 million. Longer range plans call for building out Concourse B to roughly match Concourse A, projected to begin construction in 2026 and be completed in 2028.

In 2023, the airport began a Terminal Modernization Project designed to enhance passenger experience and accommodate growing demand. The project was completed in 2026. Key elements of this project include:

Updated baggage claims with upgraded conveyor systems.

New elevators, escalators, and stairwells to improve accessibility and increase vertical redundancy of passenger flow.

Redesigned pick-up and drop-off areas, with additional traffic lanes for better flow.

Recognizing the need for upgraded infrastructure, the airport began construction of a new air traffic control tower in June 2024. The new tower will replace the existing 57-foot structure, which was originally intended as a temporary solution when the airport opened in 1998.

The new tower will stand at 141 feet to the top of the cab, significantly improving visibility and operational efficiency for air traffic controllers. The enhanced height and modern features of the new tower will enable XNA to better handle increasing air traffic volumes as the region continues to grow. The project also includes an additional air traffic control facility at the base of the tower.

In February 2025, Escape Lounges opened a 2,300-square-foot facility in the airport's main concourse. XNA is the smallest airport in the United States to feature a branded lounge.

At present, excluding Robinson Maneuver Training Center and Little Rock Air Force Base, two military facilities, XNA is the largest commercial/public/general aviation airport in terms of land area (2,680 acres, 4.2 sq.mi.) in the state of Arkansas.

Runway

The original runway built in 1998 required complete reconstruction in 2011, following the discovery of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in its Portland cement concrete. Since the runway was the only one at the airport, a temporary runway was necessary to maintain service during reconstruction.