McGhee Tyson Airport adds new direct flights to major cities

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Air travel in Knoxville is surging back up to pre-pandemic quantities, officials said. Nearly 2 million men and women flew via McGhee Tyson Airport final year, just shy of the document set in 2019. There are also three new direct flights to important cities.

McGhee Tyson Airport now has non-quit flights to 30 markets. The airport has three new direct flights to Phoenix, Baton Rouge and Minneapolis/Saint Paul.

“We have been fortunate targeted traffic below has appear back definitely strong and with the growth in passengers we usually get much more flights,” claimed Jim Evans with the Airport Authority.

More flights necessarily mean the airport wants more house. The Metropolitan Tennessee Airport Authority said it is checking out selections to expand Knoxville’s airport.

The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority reported it analyzed functions info all through the COVID-19 pandemic to establish who is browsing East Tennessee, and exactly where to make new flight paths.

“From key marketplaces like Chicago, New York, down into the Texas marketplaces, destinations where they required to get out of a massive city and come and experience nature,” explained Evans.

In convert, he mentioned, they’re in a position to deliver additional non-quit flights to locals.

“It offers our persons a terrific new position to go on a non-halt flight, so it can be good for not only inbound travel but also for outbound vacation,” Evans reported.

With outbound travel picking up, the airport is also accommodating College of Tennessee admirers this tumble, with immediate flights to Baton Rouge.

“We’re thrilled to see how it will do, so if you want to go to the LSU sport you can now go down there non-halt and occur back non-end,” Evans explained.

If vacation need carries on pursuing this craze, Evans said, ticket price ranges could proceed to go down as well.

“The additional reduced fare service you have, it drives down the average selling price of a ticket. Is it likely to be a substantial drop right away? Possibly not but flying has definitely gotten more cost-effective for McGhee Tyson than it was several years back,” Evans explained.

Airport officers reported they are also bringing again non-halt flights to Myrtle Seashore in the following pair of months, just in time for summer time.