TROY, OH – MAY 11: An employee restocks a shelf in the grocery section of a Wal-Mart Supercenter May 11, 2005 in Troy, Ohio. Wal-Mart, America’s largest retailer and the largest company in the world based on revenue, has evolved into a giant economic force for the U.S. economy. With growth, the company continues to weather criticism of low wages, anti-union policies as well as accusations that it has homogenized America’s retail economy and driven traditional stores and shops out of business. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
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Travelers in New York City, arguably the most cosmopolitan city in the world, can fly non-stop to Northwest Arkansas Airport. Stop and contemplate the seeming man-bites-dog oddity of this 1,300 mile, uninterrupted trip.
The possible mystery of LGA to XNA can be easily explained by what’s located in Northwest Arkansas: Walmart. XNA is 13 miles from Walmart’s headquarters.
From there, it’s almost a waste of words to say that LGA to XNA is all about businesses and brands of all stripes from the center of U.S. commerce routinely courting Walmart. Since Walmart is the world’s largest retailer by revenue, getting one’s products on its shelves is not unreasonably thought to be the path from obscure and limited sales to ubiquitous and skyrocketing sales.
The LGA to XNA nonstop rates further thought in consideration of the EU’s ongoing harassment of Apple with its Digital Markets Act (DMA). The latter requires so-called technology “gatekeepers” to ensure interoperability with competing services and/or third-party apps not associated with the gatekeeper.
Readers can likely imagine that far more third-party providers of services and apps desire interoperability with Apple’s products than Apple is able to offer. The result so far has been fines for Apple, along with Apple products lacking the full suite of features that can be found where its products are sold outside of Europe. For instance, Apple’s new Air Pods Pro 3 earbuds lack the quick translation feature offered with them outside of Europe, all because of the ongoing problems associated with the DMA.
Thinking of the anecdote that begins this opinion piece, while XNA is a global destination for businesses eager to get their products on Walmart shelves, just securing a meeting at Walmart HQ is in no way a certain path to a big order from the retailer. For that matter, merely getting a meeting in Bentonville is quite an achievement.
Which, when you think about it, is a blinding glimpse of the obvious. Walmart didn’t become what it’s become by stocking its shelves with just anything; rather, Walmart’s path to global prominence has been a function of its management very carefully deciding the relatively few products it will stock versus the exponentially more that have historically pleaded for shelf space.
Think about all this with Apple top of mind. It became one of the world’s most valuable companies not because it’s careless about those it pursues interoperability with, but precisely the opposite. At risk of wasting words, it’s a brand thing, but realistically so much more.
Every business understandably wants to associate its own products and services with Apple, but part of the desire is rooted in the very deep meaning that comes with being chosen by Apple. It’s arguably the ultimate “shelf” in technology, but since it is it’s necessary that Apple be very choosy about those allowed on its shelves.
Which means the demands within the DMA aren’t just bad for Apple, they’re really bad for the services and apps aiming for interoperability. If Apple opens itself to everyone, it will do so to the substantial detriment of everyone, including itself most of all.
Back to XNA, it’s a domestic and global destination served by cosmopolitan airports not because Walmart is easy, but because it isn’t. Apple is no different, and realistically can’t be if it’s to remain Apple. In other words, the worst thing for Europe’s top products and services would be for Apple to be shrunk by a law that allows just any service and app into Apple’s much revered suite of products.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johntamny/2025/09/29/northwest-arkansas-airport-reveals-danger-of-eus-digital-markets-act/
