Knoxville – McGhee Tyson Airport first opened in October of 1925 as the Knoxville Municipal Airport. It was one of the first municipal airports in the country, and it served as a major hub for air travelers in the region. The airport was originally owned by the City of Knoxville, but it was later transferred to Blount County in 1935. In 1941, the United States Army Corps of Engineers took over operations at the airport and began expanding its facilities for military use during World War II. The airport was renamed McGhee Tyson Airport in honor of two prominent local aviators, Col. Charles McGhee and Col. Harvey Tyson Jr., who had both served in World War I and World War II respectively.
The post-war period brought more growth to the airport as it became a major commercial hub for air travel throughout East Tennessee. In 1954, the original terminal building was replaced with a much larger facility that could accommodate more passengers and flights than ever before. The newly constructed terminal featured six gates, two restaurants, and other amenities such as souvenir shops and lounges for travelers to enjoy while waiting for their flights. As air travel increased throughout the region, additional expansions were made to keep up with demand; this included a new runway built in 1962 to accommodate larger aircrafts such as Boeing 727s and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s. In recent years, further improvements have been made to modernize McGhee Tyson Airport with state-of-the-art technology including an automated baggage system installed in 1998 that can process up to 4500 bags per hour!
TYS is the abbreviation code for Knoxville – McGhee Tyson Airport. According to Abbreviation Finder, TYS can also mean:
- Knoxville, TN, USA – McGhee Tyson
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Knoxville, TN Airport (TYS)
The Knoxville – McGhee Tyson Airport is the most important and largest air traffic hub in the east of the US state Tennessee. It is located near Alcoa, a town south of Knoxville, in Blount County.
- URL: Knoxville, TN (TYS)
- Time zone: GMT -5
- Service phone: +1 865 342-3000
- Address: Knoxville – McGhee Tyson Airport, 2055 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa, TN 37701, USA
- Operator: Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority
- Parking: Yes, chargeable, short and long-term parking, but the first 30 minutes are free.
- Nearby cities: Knoxville (18 km)
- Transport connections: The airport is located directly on US Highway 129, which can be reached from Knoxville via Interstate 140.
- Train connections: The nearest possible Amtrak Rail Station is about 220 kilometers further south in Atlanta / Georgia, from where there is a connection to the “Crescent” (New York-New Orleans).
- Flight distribution on the days of the week: Monday (14.86%), Tuesday (14.03%), Wednesday (14.25%), Thursday (14.74%), Friday (14.90%), Saturday (12.54%), Sunday (14.68%)
- other spellings: Knoxville-TN, McGhee Tyson Airport, Ноксвилл, Теннесси, Ноксвил, Ноксвіль, Νόξβιλ, ناکسویل, نوكسفيل – ت,,,, טנס נ טנס נ斯维尔, นอก ซ์ วิ ล ล์
Most popular destinations from Knoxville, TN (flights per week)
- Atlanta International Airport (69, 13.50%)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NC (54, 10.57%)
- Dallas – Fort Worth International Airport, TX (39, 7.63%)
- New York – La Guardia Airport, NY (37, 7.24%)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (37, 7.24%)
- Houston – George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (32, 6.26%)
- Washington DC – Dulles International Airport, DC (32, 6.26%)
- Philadelphia International Airport, PA (24, 4.70%)
- Washington DC – Ronald Reagan National Airport, VA (23, 4.50%)
- Denver International Airport, CO (23, 4.50%)
- Other (27.6%)
Top airlines (share of take-offs / landings)
- American Airlines (300, 14.91%)
- Aeroméxico (152, 7.55%)
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (123, 6.11%)
- United Airlines (113, 5.62%)
- Allegiant Air (108, 5.37%)
- KLM (108, 5.37%)
- Air Canada (106, 5.27%)
- Air New Zealand (93, 4.62%)
- Delta Air Lines (91, 4.52%)
- Westjet (80, 3.98%)
- Other (36.68%)
Location
The airport is 12 miles south of Downtown Knoxville, just off US Highway 129. The quickest way to get to the airport is Interstate 140. Take either Interstate 40 or Interstate 75 to Knoxville and then Take Interstate 140 approximately 6 miles west of Knoxville by the Farrragut community. Drive all the way through Interstate 140, then follow US Highway 129 to the airport.