Corporations are strong-arming regional carriers serving Fayetteville, Ark., to move to the new Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport when it opens in October, some in the industry charge. The area is home to Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt trucking. Carriers are furious with costs at the controversial new airport -- a 60% increase in terminal costs, a seven-cents-per-gallon fuel flowage fee and $7.68 per passenger for those over a baseline established at Fayetteville. Only American Eagle, among five and with a 48% market share, has agreed to the move...

..."Huge in-fighting" is the way one source described the Arkansas battle, and "very political. The manner in which they want us to move is extraordinary." Another said the airlines have been told by the airport's major corporate sponsors that they and their suppliers will not support them if they do not move. They concede that the Fayetteville airport is antiquated and has a tricky ILS approach, but that they are "not willing to pay." From Fayetteville, Eagle and ASA serve Dallas/Fort Worth, Trans States flies to St. Louis, Express I to Memphis and Air Midwest to Kansas City and Little Rock.