McGhee Tyson Airport - Your Gateway To East Tennessee

Joe Gorczany 18 Jun 2025

McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) truly stands as the main air travel spot for East Tennessee, connecting folks to over 30 different places with six different airlines. It is, in a way, the central hub for anyone looking to fly into or out of this beautiful part of the world. From finding your flight to sorting out parking, getting around, or just checking the terminal layout, all the important details are available on the official airport website, making your travel plans a little easier to manage.

This air facility, you see, is more than just a place where planes take off and land; it serves as a truly important entrance to the whole East Tennessee area. It brings people right into Knoxville, a city that feels very alive, and it offers a direct path to the stunning national parks nearby. The people running the show at the airport are always working to make things better, trying to meet the needs of more and more travelers, and making sure everyone has a good experience when they come through.

So, whether you are planning a trip for fun or for business, McGhee Tyson Airport is set up to help you get where you need to go. They are always thinking about how to improve things, from how the buildings work to how easy it is for you to move through the airport. It's all about making your time there as smooth as possible, ensuring the airport stays a vital link for the community and a competitive choice for air travel.

Where is McGhee Tyson Airport, anyway?
- Finding Your Way to McGhee Tyson Airport
What Can You Find at McGhee Tyson Airport?
- Getting Around McGhee Tyson Airport
A Look Back - The Story of McGhee Tyson Airport
- How McGhee Tyson Airport Serves the Community
What's Been Happening at McGhee Tyson Airport Lately?
- The Recent Road Trouble at McGhee Tyson Airport
What's Next for McGhee Tyson Airport?
- Big Changes Coming to McGhee Tyson Airport
How Many People Use McGhee Tyson Airport?
- Passenger Journeys at McGhee Tyson Airport
Do You Need a Special ID for McGhee Tyson Airport?
- Real ID Guidelines for McGhee Tyson Airport
Need to Get in Touch with McGhee Tyson Airport?
- Connecting with McGhee Tyson Airport

Where is McGhee Tyson Airport, anyway?

McGhee Tyson Airport, which people often call TYS, sits about 14 miles straight south of downtown Knoxville. It's actually in Alcoa, Tennessee, which is a little town on its own. The address for the airport is 2055 Alcoa Highway, and it makes its home in Blount County. This placement, you know, puts it right at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains, making it a very convenient spot for anyone wanting to visit that famous natural wonder.

Finding Your Way to McGhee Tyson Airport

For those looking to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the airport is, you know, about a 30-minute drive by car. This means you can land and pretty quickly be on your way to enjoy some of the most stunning scenery in the country. It's almost as if the airport was placed there just for that reason, offering a welcoming entrance to the entire East Tennessee region, including the lively city of Knoxville and those truly beautiful national parks.

What Can You Find at McGhee Tyson Airport?

McGhee Tyson Airport is, in some respects, the main air travel hub for East Tennessee. It helps people get to and from more than 30 different places, and six airlines fly in and out of it. If you're looking for information on flights, where to park your car, how to get around once you land, or even a map of the inside of the terminal, you can find all of that on the airport's official online spot. They also provide details on how the airport is set up to help everyone, including those with special needs, which is a good thing.

Getting Around McGhee Tyson Airport

You can discover all sorts of important details and services for McGhee Tyson Airport, which, you know, is still the premier air facility in East Tennessee. This includes learning about its story, where it's located, what flights are available, how to get a rental car, places to stay nearby, local sights to see, and even what the weather is like. It's all there to help you plan your visit or departure, making things just a little simpler for you.

A Look Back - The Story of McGhee Tyson Airport

To really get a feel for McGhee Tyson Airport, it helps to learn a bit about its past. This airport isn't just a modern building; it has a history, you know, as both a place for public air travel and a spot for military operations. It serves the Knoxville, Tennessee, area, and has done so for a good while. Knowing its background helps you appreciate how it has grown and changed over the years to become what it is today.

How McGhee Tyson Airport Serves the Community

Finding out how to get to the airport, which airlines use it, and what kinds of services are available once you're there is, you know, pretty straightforward. The airport offers a single terminal with two concourses, which helps manage the flow of people. It serves over 3.3 million passengers each year, showing just how much it is used by folks traveling to and from the area. This truly shows how important McGhee Tyson Airport is to the local community and beyond.

What's Been Happening at McGhee Tyson Airport Lately?

Recently, there was a bit of an unexpected event at McGhee Tyson Airport. A sinkhole, which is, you know, a hole that opens up in the ground, showed up and caused some road closures. Officials said this sinkhole was reported by the airport around 8:30 p.m. on a Thursday. This event led to a part of the airport loop road being closed off, which, naturally, caused some changes for people trying to get around.

The Recent Road Trouble at McGhee Tyson Airport

The road that goes around McGhee Tyson Airport had to be closed because of that sinkhole. A notice on the airport’s website explained that a section of Airport Loop Road, which is also known as Termi…, was affected. This roadway is, in fact, the main road that circles the airport terminal building and the parking garage. The sinkhole was about 12 feet wide and 20 feet deep, and it was found behind the parking garage. It was filled in after causing a night of worry and some confusion on June 12th. The McGhee Tyson Airport loop road is now open again after being closed for several hours.

What's Next for McGhee Tyson Airport?

The airport is, in some ways, always looking ahead. These updates and changes show McGhee Tyson Airport’s dedication to handling the growing number of people who travel by air and to making the whole experience better for everyone. They call their big plan "Flight Plan," and it's a way of thinking ahead about how to build up the airport's basic structures. This plan, you know, not only helps the local area but also makes the airport more competitive compared to others in the industry.

Big Changes Coming to McGhee Tyson Airport

The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, or MKAA, held a special event to officially start work on a project that will expand the parking garage and improve the roads around the terminal. At this event, they also announced the launch of "Flight Plan," which is a major program for expanding and renovating the airport. This plan is, basically, set up to handle the big increase in passengers that McGhee Tyson Airport has been seeing. Vehicles will be guided by signs and will leave the airport through the Hunt Road intersection during these changes. Allegiant also has plans to set up an aircraft base in Tennessee, which could mean more activity at the airport.

How Many People Use McGhee Tyson Airport?

McGhee Tyson Airport, which is managed by the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, helps more than 3.3 million passengers each year. That's a lot of people coming and going! It's a very busy place, with a single terminal that has two main sections for people to move through. This shows, you know, just how important the airport is for travel in and out of the area.

Passenger Journeys at McGhee Tyson Airport

The large number of people using McGhee Tyson Airport really highlights its role as a welcoming entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains and the interesting culture of East Tennessee. It sits 12 miles south of Knoxville in Alcoa, Tennessee, and it's, you know, a vital spot for travelers. The airport's ongoing efforts to improve things are a direct response to this growing number of passengers, aiming to make every journey a little smoother.

Do You Need a Special ID for McGhee Tyson Airport?

Starting May 7, 2025, there's an important change regarding identification at Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport. All travelers who are 18 years old or older will need to show a Real ID-compliant license or another form of identification that the TSA accepts to get through security. This is, you know, a nationwide change, but it applies directly to your experience at McGhee Tyson Airport.

Real ID Guidelines for McGhee Tyson Airport

It's important to be aware of the Real ID requirements for McGhee Tyson Airport. This means checking your identification well before your travel date to make sure it meets the new standards. Having the correct ID will help you move through the security checks without any unexpected delays. So, basically, plan ahead to ensure your ID is ready for your next trip through McGhee Tyson Airport.

Need to Get in Touch with McGhee Tyson Airport?

For more details about McGhee Tyson Airport, which is TYS, you can look up their contact information. Knowing how to reach them can be really helpful if you have questions or need specific assistance. They are there to help make your travel experience as smooth as possible.

Connecting with McGhee Tyson Airport

The address for McGhee Tyson Airport is 2055 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa, TN 37701, United States. For even more specific information about TYS airport, including maps, details on when planes are arriving and leaving, and other useful bits, you can visit the ifly.com page for TYS airport. This resource is, you know, pretty comprehensive and can answer many of your questions about the airport's operations and services.

McGhee Tyson Airport — MHM Architects

McGhee Tyson Airport - Cannon & Cannon, Inc (CCI)

Celebrity Homes & Lifestyles