With 1.2 million passengers, McGhee Tyson plans for its busiest summer yet. You should too
With new flights and destinations added to McGhee Tyson Airport in recent months, officials are now projecting 2024 will be the airport's busiest summer − and busiest year − on record.
It's a curious tradeoff for Knoxville passengers: After years of enjoying the convenience of a small airport while also wanting more destinations, many will soon realize those perks can't always coexist.
In the span of two weeks in February, several airlines confirmed they would add new destinations this summer. Airport staff had already OK'd the possibility of new flights, not expecting Allegiant, Avelo, Delta and Frontier all to add them at once.
Also this summer, legacy carriers American, Delta and United will swap out regional jets for larger Boeing and Airbus planes on select flights.
McGhee Tyson expects to surpass 3 million passengers this year, while spending around $1 million on airline incentives for new flights. Both figures are unprecedented.
The airport just broke its passenger record in 2023 when it served more than 2.8 million travelers.
Knox County Schools are done for the summer after May 23, an unofficial start to the vacation season. Here's what to know before taking off from McGhee Tyson this summer, including tips for seamless travel.
Parking at McGhee Tyson Airport reopened for summer travel
The airport projects it will serve more than 1.2 million passengers from May to August, including 338,804 in July alone. That's a nearly 23% increase over July 2023.
McGhee Tyson tops the list of U.S. airports for the greatest year-to-year increase in available seats for Memorial Day weekend.
To ensure there's parking for all those passengers, the airport reopened a long-term surface parking lot that had closed in February for the construction of a new six-story parking garage. The lot will remain open until Nov. 1.
Crews will prepare the garage site over the summer and begin construction on the $180 million facility in November. Airport officials expect the garage will be complete with 3,500 new spaces in 2026.
Economy Lot C, furthest from the terminal, was designed with 1,000 spaces to make up for lost parking while the long-term lot was closed. Even though the long-term lot has temporarily reopened, Economy Lot C will continue its 24-hour shuttle service (with 15-minute travel time to the terminal).
The only difference between long-term and short-term parking is the distance from the terminal building and the price:
Short-term: $22 daily
Long-term: $16 daily
Economy: $11 daily
McGhee Tyson travel tips when leaving or arriving in Knoxville
McGhee Tyson always recommends travelers arrive two hours before their flight. This advice will be especially valuable at peak travel times this summer.
The airport also recommends travelers:
Download the MyTSA app and their airline's app to get updates.
Apply for TSA PreCheck, which cuts down on security waits.
Pre-book rental cars online in case the airport runs out.
Keep track of real-time parking availability at flyknoxville.com.
Use the "phone and wait lot" for pick-ups to avoid clogging the terminal road.
Where to pick up passengers at McGhee Tyson? There's a new spot
Phone and wait lots are designed for drivers to wait until a passenger texts or calls them for pick up. That prevents drivers from idling on the main terminal road and clogging traffic.
The airport will open a new one with 100 spots next to the Airport Hilton on May 22, airport spokesperson Caitlin Darras said. McGhee Tyson's existing phone and wait lot has only 15 spaces.
The airport put up new signs directing drivers to the new lot and warning them not to park or wait on the terminal road. Only active loading is allowed.
Both phone and wait lots will be open during the summer, though the smaller lot will close once garage construction begins this fall. Drivers cannot leave their cars unattended in the lots.
New flights coming to Knoxville in summer 2024
A suite of new flights from Knoxville starting this summer is welcome news, especially for Midwesterners and Yalies:
Avelo Airlines to Tweed New Haven Airport beginning May 9
Frontier Airlines to Philadelphia International Airport beginning May 16
Allegiant Air to Orlando International Airport beginning May 17
Delta Airlines to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport beginning June 7
Allegiant Air to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport beginning June 13
Allegiant Air to South Bend International Airport beginning June 14
Allegiant Air to Jacksonville International Airport beginning June 14
Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that specializes in short flights between small and midsize airports, is the sixth airline to offer flights from Knoxville and the airport's first new airline since 2011. It began service to its hub in New Haven, Connecticut, on May 9.
Allegiant already flies to Orlando Sanford International Airport, but had not previously flown to Orlando's other airport closer to Universal Studios and Walt Disney World.
Allegiant's new flight to St. Louis, meanwhile, is to the "other" St. Louis airport that's actually in Illinois.
Delta's flight to Minneapolis resumes a popular service the airline offered before the COVID-19 pandemic. Minneapolis is Delta's Midwest hub, its gateway to Canada, and a connection to the West Coast and Asia.
What is driving McGhee Tyson Airport's growth in Knoxville?
A new parking garage will sit farther from the terminal to make room for an expansion that will add up to six gates by 2029.
The current terminal, completed in 2000, is designed for up to 2.6 million passengers per year. In 2023, the airport had more than 2.8 million passengers, 10 consecutive months of record passenger traffic, and the airport's busiest single day and month.
Airport staff said the expansion is overdue as Knoxville becomes more of a travel destination.
"People are getting on an airplane in lots of places and they're coming to the Smoky Mountains," Jim Evans, McGhee Tyson's vice president of marketing and air service development, said at an Aviation Academy meeting April 24.
With destination status comes more interest from airlines. McGhee Tyson now serves 30 nonstop destinations on six airlines, and it's making changes to gate operations to accommodate more flights.
Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Traveling to Knoxville? McGhee Tyson Airport will be busy this summer