10-04-2025
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.
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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.
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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.
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