McGhee Tyson was fastest-growing major U.S. airport in 2024 as Knoxville flights expand

This article originally from Knox News

McGhee Tyson Airport was the fastest-growing of the largest 100 U.S. airports last year based on passenger traffic, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Knoxville airport had a record year in 2024, growing more than 18% in passenger traffic as it added new flights, the airport said in an April 9 announcement of the ranking. It served around 3.3 million passengers for the first time in its 87-year history.

“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.”

McGhee Tyson offers nonstop flights to 32 destinations and averages 130 flights a day. It is the No. 81 largest airport in the U.S. by passenger traffic as of last year.

Why Knoxville’s airport ranked No. 1 for passenger growth

McGhee Tyson had its busiest summer ever last year after adding seven new flights, though Frontier pulled its service to Philadelphia International Airport in August.

The airport also landed its first new airline last year since Frontier came in 2011. Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier founded in 2021, began flying from Knoxville to its hub in New Haven, Connecticut, last May.

New flights and airlines tend to attract more new flights and airlines, as carriers gain confidence in their ability to make revenue at a growing airport. Allegiant announced in November it would add new nonstop flights to three destinations in 2025: Gulf Shores, Alabama; Sarasota, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

Six airlines offer service from Knoxville: Allegiant, American, Avelo, Delta, Frontier and United. Allegiant has operated a base at McGhee Tyson since 2018 and offers the most destinations, though American is the busiest airline from Knoxville based on passenger traffic.

McGhee Tyson Airport works on garage and terminal expansion

To make room for more passengers, the airport plans to spend $700 million over the next decade on a new parking garage and an expanded terminal building. It’s calling the project its “Flight Plan.”

The first major construction project in the plan is a 3,600-space parking garage by the terminal to be completed in 2027. The terminal building opened in 2000 with a maximum capacity of 2.6 million annual passengers, and McGhee Tyson hopes to add around six new gates by 2029.