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Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McGhee Tyson named fastest-growing airport among the top 100 in the country
ALCOA, Tenn. (WATE) — Does it seem like the airport is busier than usual? It's not your imagination. Of the top 100 largest airports in the United States, McGhee Tyson experienced the most growth last year at 18.6%. They went from about 2.57 million passengers in 2023 to almost 3.26 in 2024 — the most they've ever had — an increase of around 51,000. This made it the 81st largest airport in the country and the third largest in Tennessee after Nashville and Memphis. Police search for suspect after shooting behind Knoxville home McGhee Tyson is expected to continue growing in 2025, an airport spokesperson said. This spring, they added new flights to Sarasota, Florida, Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. This brought them to a total of 32 nonstop destinations and 130 flights every day on average. 'East Tennessee is a thriving business and leisure destination that attracts visitors from across the world,' said Patrick Wilson, President of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. 'As our community grows, so does the need to provide safe, affordable and accessible air travel into and out of our community. The airlines that serve our market see the value of investing in TYS and we appreciate the service they provide and the community's support.' McGhee Tyson is expanding to meet the new demand. They're currently building a new parking garage with around 3,600 spaces that they expect to open in 2027. They also have a 10-year plan for additional gates and gate seating options as well as an expanded security checkpoint and added concessions. They call these goals their Flight Plan. One dead after crash on Highway 11W in Hawkins County Other Tennessee airports grew as well, including Nashville, which grew 7.4%; Memphis, which grew 1.5%; and Chattanooga, which grew 14%, although their airport was too small to be in the top 100. The other fastest growing airports in the top 100 were: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — 14.6% Providence, Road Island — 14.2% Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina — 12.4% Pensacola, Florida — 12.2% The one that declined the most was Kahului, Hawaii, which decreased by 8.5%. All the additional passengers kept the TSA busy. At McGhee Tyson, they caught 28 guns in passengers' luggage, one more than in 2023, but fewer than they found in 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mel Gibson's Gun Rights Battle Reportedly Led To DOJ Attorney's Firing
Former U.S. Department of Justice Pardon Attorney, Elizabeth G. Oyer, alleges she was fired last week after refusing to reinstate actor Mel Gibson's gun rights. Oyer claims she was assigned to a team responsible for reviewing gun rights restorations for convicted individuals. Among the names on the list was Mel Gibson, who lost his firearm privileges following a 2011 domestic violence conviction. According to Oyer, who spoke with The New York Times, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office had compiled a list of nine individuals eligible for restored gun rights. She submitted her draft memo recommending reinstatement for several of them, but two senior Justice Department officials reportedly returned it, instructing her to add Gibson's name. Oyer pushed back, standing by her decision. She claims that shortly afterward, she received a call from someone in Blanche's office, pressuring her to reconsider. When she refused, the pressure intensified. She says officials cited Gibson's connections to President , his influence as a "special ambassador" to Hollywood, and suggested that granting the reinstatement would be the 'smart move.' Gibson, a vocal conservative and supporter of Donald Trump, lost his gun rights in 2011 following a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction against his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. Under federal law, individuals convicted of specific offenses face firearm restrictions. As part of a settlement, Gibson pled no contest to the charges, allowing him to avoid jail time. Despite the mounting pressure, Oyer remained firm. Hours later, she says she returned to her office to find two security officers waiting with a termination letter from Blanche's office. She was immediately escorted out of the building. Oyer was not given an official reason for her termination. However, an unnamed Justice Department official denied to The New York Times that the Gibson matter played a role in the decision to fire her. Oyer emphasized that her decision was not politically motivated but based solely on concerns for public safety. This news comes shortly after Hollywood veteran Mel Gibson set his sights on Las Vegas as a major hub for blockbuster filmmaking. After directing a -led film shot in Southern Nevada, Gibson is eager to return, possibly for a sequel, or even more large-scale productions. 'Mark Wahlberg is an industrious guy and great to work with. The production experience in Vegas was topnotch,' Gibson shared in a text per Review Journal, a day after attending UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Seated alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and longtime friend and business associate Darin Feinstein, Gibson expressed his enthusiasm for future projects in the city. 'I am certain Vegas will accommodate Mark in a big way. I look forward to coming back for big-budget movies.' Gibson recently directed "Flight Plan," a thriller that filmed some scenes at Mesquite Airport. The film stars Wahlberg as a pilot transporting an Air Marshal, played by Michelle Dockery, and a fugitive, portrayed by Topher Grace, across Alaska. The project aligns with Wahlberg's ongoing efforts to establish Las Vegas as a major film production hub. Wahlberg, a Las Vegas resident, has already filmed "Family Plan" in the city and is currently using Las Vegas-area locations for its sequel, "Family Plan 2." He has also been a vocal advocate for Senate Bill 238, which proposes a 31-acre film studio campus in Summerlin in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery. The studios are seeking $80 million in tax credits, estimating that the project would create approximately 18,000 industry jobs. The bill is currently under review by the Nevada Legislature. Although Gibson's latest trip to Las Vegas wasn't for film-related business, the "Braveheart" and "Lethal Weapon" star made the most of his visit by attending UFC 313. 'It was great to be at UFC with some great Americans,' he said, reinforcing his affinity for the city's vibrant entertainment scene.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
McGhee Tyson will close main Alcoa Highway entrance on spring break weekends: What to know
McGhee Tyson Airport will close its main entrance and redirect drivers to Hunt Road for three March weekends in anticipation of heavy spring break traffic. The airport's main entrance from Alcoa Highway will be inaccessible to southbound travelers (those coming from Knoxville) from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on these dates: Thursday, March 6 to Monday, March 10 Thursday, March 13 to Monday, March 17 Thursday, March 20 to Monday, March 24 The Hunt Road exit is the next exit south from the airport's main entrance, and it passes by economy parking lots and the Hilton hotel before reaching the terminal building. The traffic pattern will not change for passengers heading north on Alcoa Highway. After taking the exit, passengers will turn right onto Tyson Boulevard, which turns onto Terminal Loop Drive by the hotel. The airport will monitor traffic on these roads, which staff says is a safer option with the volume of travelers expected those weekends. "We don't want to create a safety hazard by having the backup on Alcoa Highway," airport spokesperson Becky Huckaby told Knox News. McGhee Tyson will consider repeating the closures at peak travel times if the change works well, Huckaby said. The airport has encouraged travelers and anyone giving a ride to use the Hunt Road exit, which leads directly to the "phone and wait" lot, even during normal operations. "Because our curb is not for parking, it's for continuous loading and unloading only and moving on, the more we can keep that movement going through that area, the quicker everybody can get pick up their person," Huckaby said. Knox County Schools are on spring break March 17-21, meaning students are off March 15-23, including weekends. Blount County Schools are on spring break March 10-14. Alcoa City Schools and Oak Ridge City Schools get two weeks of spring break March 10-21. See the dates: When is spring break? Here are Knoxville area schools and University of Tennessee dates The airport will open a new entrance to its parking garage alongside the old entrance, which closes the week of March 10 for construction on a new parking garage. Drivers will not need to change their route to the parking garage, since the new entrance is only slightly different, Huckaby said. As the airport serves record numbers of passengers – 3.3 million in 2024 – it is building a six-story, 3,500-space parking garage set to open next to its existing parking garage in 2027. The $185 million construction project is the most expensive in airport history. The garage is part of McGhee Tyson's "Flight Plan" for $700 million of construction over the next decade to expand its terminal and the number of gates. Upgrades range from large to small, like replacing the terminal's outmoded escalators. McGhee Tyson issued its standard holiday travel tips for passengers during spring break, which include: Arriving at the airport two hours early, even for 5 a.m. flights Building in enough time to park and get to the terminal Checking for real-time parking availability Downloading airline app to get latest flight updates Packing light and in the right size of luggage Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Email: Signal: @danieldassow.24. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: McGhee Tyson Airport closes main entrance for spring break travel in TN
