Walmart lands in Bentonville for Associates Week and shareholder meeting

Walmart flew from Goodhart Canyon Airport in California to Rogers Municipal Airport in Arkansas late on June 16, a 2-hour 37-minute hop that landed just after 1 a.m. local time. The flight arrived the same week the retailer hosts its annual Associates Week and shareholder meeting in Bentonville, per the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Thousands of employees from 19 countries gather for festivities, a formal shareholder vote, and a star-studded Friday celebration at Bud Walton Arena — this year hosted by actor Jason Sudeikis, with musical acts Benson Boone, Shaboozey, and Pink, as covered by Talk Business & Politics. CEO John Furner, who took the top job on February 1, 2026, is presiding over his first shareholder meeting, where eight proposals are on the ballot.

The flight follows a pattern: the same aircraft flew from Bentonville to Los Angeles on June 7, and from Los Angeles to an unknown location on June 16 before returning. Walmart’s board requires Furner to use company aircraft for all business and personal travel, a policy adopted in 2025 after a third-party security assessment.