This little regional airport in Knoxville is an example of a small regional airport done right. The gate areas feel open and airy, there's enough food and drink options for grab a little something before your flight, and there's even a little shop if you want some last minute souvenirs. We flew in and out of the Knoxville airport on a recent trip to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was the perfect easy peasy way to get in, grab our rental car, and embark on our adventures. Get to it! read more

Had an easy experience going and coming from this airport. Not that big so it's easy to get around. Bathrooms are clean. Overall the airport is clean. I would recommend flying to this airport if you're going to be in Knoxville or nearby. read more

This was my first time in the Knoxville area. I was pleasantly surprised to get off of the plane and walk into a very beautiful and modern looking regional airport! More specially, this airport was in Alcoa. The restrooms were nice, clean, and well-maintained. It was very easy to pick up the rental car and be on my way. On the way back, there were nearby gas stations, making it easy and convenient to gas up the car before returning it. The return process was easy as everything was clearly marked. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

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The airport is working on multiple upgrades which include more parking, better eateries, and better organization at the gates. They recently added more seating and brought Southwest Airlines in as an option. TSA pre-check is available and highly recommended. Welcoming staff and easy to navigate. read more

We flew into TYS, Knoxville late Friday night and flew out very early Sunday morning. On Saturday I was there twice. Once to pick up the rental car and later in the day to return it. While Knoxville is known to be scruffy, TYS is a very good small regional airport. There are flights to Chicago, Dallas, Denver but there are not a lot of flights. The security at night directing traffic was a plus. If it wasn't for those brave men and women, that pickup area would be a complete disaster. The rental car offices are inside and the shuttle / taxi area is outside through a different door from the rental car garage. The taxis dont get a lot of use or love but if your hotel has a shuttle, its the way to go. The return of the rental car does mean you need to go all the way around the airport and return in the garage so stay alert otherwise you'll get dumped back out on the highway. This is the first airport with an incline to security as well as a forest waterfall fountain feature. Starbucks is here, along with Cinnabon, and Ruby Tuesdays. Southwest Airlines is coming in March of 2026 so it will be interesting to see if TYS can handle the flights and influx of passengers. Thanks to the Knoxville Tyson McGhee airport team for welcoming us and treating us with lots of lovin. read more

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Well it used to be quick and easy to get through security but that changed dramatically this year. The line is out the door into the road.

This morning I woke up bright (actually dark) and early and returned my rental car back to Budget Car Rental. I got to the Delta counters at about 3:45. It is a pretty good thing that I got there so early. By 4:30 the reps still weren't at the counters and the line had extended quite far. I was third in line and I decided to check both of my carry on bags. This was a novel idea for me because I have always been used to have a bag of some kind with me while I travel. I was planning on chilling out in the Delta Sky Lounge. Sadly apparently McGhee Tyson doesn't qualify for a lounge. Honestly I shouldn't be surprised. The airport is basically less than 1/4 of a mile long. At least where the gates are. I looked for some food options and Quiznos @ 5 am seemed like a pretty bad idea...especially for a $20+ meal. I decided to pass and enjoy the food selection @ the Atlanta airport. Instead i decided to not sit on my ass, and i walked, and walked, and walked some more. I must have walked 40-50 loops (possibly more) back and forth. I had a New York walking mentality in The Knoxville airport. I was hoping that someone would notice my dedication to hoofing it around, get their phone out, get me on video and it would have totally gone viral. I could call myself The Walking Man. Not only would I become famous, I would document all of my walking excursions and I would ask James Taylor if i could use his song "The Walking Man" as my theme song. Obviously I did a lot of thinking about this plan, but the chances of it actually happening is slim to none. I will check socials later and cross my fingers. If nothing else I have a HUGE jumpstart on my step count this morning and I feel pretty damn good. Hope everyone has a good day and a good week. read more

If you're flying into Knoxville, you have very little choices so you're probably flying into here. The people working here are very polite. The flight options in and out of here are surprisingly good, especially if you're looking for a regional flights that are direct if you're looking to fly to the West Coast, you're going to likely have a layover for the majority of flights but several options exist between regional carriers. This is a very clean and well run airport that is always an easy experience in and out even with construction and growth. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - McGhee Tyson Airport parking. - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

Small, convenient, and easy to navigate! I recently traveled back to Florida from McGhee, and the experience was a breeze. Dropping off my bags and getting through security was quick and hassle free. The gates are easy to access, with bright, clear signs that are hard to miss. Plus, there are plenty of restrooms throughout, so there were no long lines, always a plus! read more

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Staff met my mother and I at the gate to take my mom in a wheelchair chair to collect our luggage. Wonderful lady!! Smaller airport under renovation. Looking forward to my next visit! Great customer service!! read more

A small quaint airport. Doesn't have very much to do during your downtime. No lounges and not many restaurants and shops. It was a very quick bag check, TSA process and there are about 12 gates or so, so no need to really run to catch your flight. Does what it needs to do. No complaints. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

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This airport is small but very friendly and nice. Easy to get into and out. I would recommend it to anyone flying to Tennessee.

I love this airport. It is smaller and more efficient. No longer lines easy in and out. Rental car area it easy and efficient. So far my favorite airport. read more

12 gates and so easy to access from car rental on site. One of the cleanest airports I have visited. The woman's restroom offers a rocking chair and free feminine products. Such a nice touch for those in need. read more

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Small, barebones airport with very limited food options but overall clean with comfortable seating. No lounges here. There's a Starbucks, Quiznos, Uno pizza, and Ruby Tuesday, so if you want the sit down restaurant option, you have to line up immediately after security. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

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Nice smaller airport, easy to navigate. Convenient to get to baggage claim and car rentals on first floor. The baggage lady keeps an eye on bags and grabs them to hold if not picked up when next flight arrives. TSA precheck was a little slow because they only have one bag scanner. Bathrooms were clean but do need updating. Overall convenient airport. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Hall to exit - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

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This is a smaller, regional airport servicing Knoxville. Pretty modern, but a bit smaller than I anticipated. The retail area is anchored by a sad dine-in restaurant, Ruby Tuesdays, and an art installation. Unfortunately, I was flying American so I endured multiple flight delays lasting about 13+ hrs and I spent a lot of time in this airport. The first day I attempted to leave, I and all of my fellow pre-check passengers had our luggage scanned by the x-ray machine twice. When it appeared the agent was separating my luggage for a third scan, I requested a manual check. At that point, our line was moving slower than the general security line. (The next day when I actually left, that machine was cordoned off and not in use.) A highlight were the rocking chairs in different parts of the airport, which I made use of for hours at a time. Serviceable airport for an in-and-out, but not the ideal option for long layovers. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

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Terrible. Good thing Southwest now flies out of here. Maybe the place will finally shut down when they realize they can't do the most simple things on planet earth. Terrible communication when you enter, no one knows where to go, what to do, and there is not a soul around helping. The staff is undermanned, and they have zero sense of urgency. You finally get to the end of a line just to be told you should have been in another. I've been here an hour and a half and watched this take place over a dozen time. Oh and at 5am. I mean, it's not the busy at 5am, come on, do better. An airport has one job, to process people, been doing it for years. Inefficient would describe this airport, and that would be generous. read more

Very quiet airport.... Although there are still not enough parking places... The employees were Very polite... & very helpful.... We picked up a Turo car at this location......we went on a road trip then brought the back to this location..... and from here flew to New York.... read more

We flew from Knoxville to West Palm Beach, FL through a connecting flight to Charlotte, NC. Checking our bags in and going through TSA was a breeze. We arrived about 2.5 hours prior to our scheduled flight since we had to also return a car rental and it took less than an hour to accomplish all three tasks. The airport and restrooms were very clean. There are a variety of shopping stores and restaurants. The waiting areas near the gates were clean, with plenty of space to comfortably sit and wait and plenty of electrical sockets to plug and charge your devices. No one enjoys the airport lines and waiting time but we honestly didn't mind the wait at TYS. read more

This airport is easy to get in and out off. Pre-check line was long, but moved very quickly. The Delta self check-in does not allow you to check a bag yourself you will need to see an agent. This airport is clean and well kept. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

Be prepared for your flight to be delayed when flying out and for be stuck in the plane when flying in.

Good airport! It's small, with just 12 gates, but I love these small airports. I made it through TSA Pre-check in less than 5 minutes and was able to find a seat with an outlet to get some work done on their free wifi. They get an automatic star for working, free wifi! This is something that I feel should be a given at any airport, so when it doesn't work, I get a bit irrationally angry. (Looking at you, SAN.) I had already eaten prior to arriving but the food options seem a little limited to large inter/national chains. I liked the nature/water feature in the main corridor - very peaceful and unique. The rocking chairs at the big window were also a fun touch and nod to the southern vibe. The website lists approximate security wait times as well as parking lot capacity. Overall a smooth experience at TYS! read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

McGhee-Tyson airport (TYS) is a wonderful facility in East Tennessee for starting, or ending, your travels. They have service of many different airlines and a beautiful terminal. The only negative is that I have trouble with the exit gates on almost every visit. The displays are not bright enough for use during the daytime and they need to switch to 'tap' readers for credit cards. Yesterday, the machine ate my credit card. Follow me on Yelp for more things to see and do in East Tennessee. read more

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This is a pretty nice airport. Always very quick to get through. Never flying American again. Those bastards left 15 minutes early without me and I was checked in. I was stranded there and felt Tom Hanks on the set of castaway. I've flown for every airline known to man and havent experienced anything like it. Yes even spirit im cheap and they are actually pretty nice lowkey. I was close to crashing out, luckily, Delly (i think her name was) was an absolute gem and found a flight for me which was only a hour and a half delay. She saved my recent experiences read more

Smallish airport that's fairly easy to navigate. Not a lot of people but not the smallest airport I've been through. Inside was clean and nicely decorated for the holidays. There are a few shops and restaurants inside, but not a huge selection. The parking deck is very expensive at $22 per day. Seriously! Appears they're working on the economy lot parking area and it's currently closed, so the only non-deck parking is quite a ways away if you want a cheaper parking option (bring your walking shoes). Overall it's a fairly easy airport to navigate and get to your gate, but the parking situation leaves a lot to be desired. read more

this place sucks. It is a very small airport so you have to consider that but honestly i don't even care. Prepare to wait and exercise your patience to the best of your ability when coming. At this airport I usually wait a good amount of time before being able to get off. one time genuinely waited an HOUR to get OFF the plane AFTER landing. After that, i then waited probably 40 minutes for them to start pushing out our luggage. This has happened not once but twice now. read more

The only airport in Knoxville is small, and highly efficient. You'll find no chaos or commotion here; it allows for a smooth experience. You can easily get in and out without the hassle of heavy traffic or lengthy TSA and baggage check-in processes. read more

The airport itself should be easy and simple: the up escalator has been broken for weeks. WHY?? I got selected for a random scan; the machine shows something at my ankle. I'm asked if I have anything on it and I respond, "socks." No, what else? I've already answered this so are you just not competent? Then the little indian girl checks me, makes me take my shoes off and runs them through. She doesn't bring them back to me so I sit in this chair waiting for someone to bring me my shoes while she goes to wait on this white lady and puts her shoes on for her? Really? The new scanners suck; the people like stare at the bags; it should be easier, not harder and BTW, if you need bins for these, then they are a bad idea!! A smarter choice would be binless. Then flying American is a treat. They valet check the bags and gives everyone the same color, yellow, which they SHOULD NOT!! I am sitting up front and priority and when does my bag come off, after 35 bags, LAST. Can you so super Incompetent?? Even when there are red and yellow tags, the same genius ground crew doesn't put them up in the correct order. If this is the best you have, put them somewhere else in the world; while this job isn't difficult, it is too much for them read more

Positively the worst small airport I have ever been to. A friend lives in Knoxville so I have to fly in here to visit. I refer to this airport as the "blackhole of airports" because it seems so hard to get out of it and home. This last time? The line for the plane I was taking took forever to deal with people who had low English skill resulting in no one manning the desk. I realize this is an airline issue but it added to the "this will go badly" feeling. The security line is slow and they get thrown when they have to deal with people with limited English. It slows things down badly. At least the people working at the airport are friendly but this needs to be worked on though it is a TSA problem. My first attempt to fly home resulted in the flight being canceled after being on the plane two hours, sitting on runway. The airline took ALL DAY to give us back our luggage and no one told anyone on the plane anything. The lady at the service desk told us she called the airline and they rudely informed her we were in the air. We fought to get our luggage back because, well, we needed it for the night if we were to fly the 5 am flight the next day. My friend was called to pick me back up and since there are few flights into the home airport for me? I had to stay 5 more days in Knoxville. Then, when I was to fly out again there was another long line and they had to hold the plane boarding until someone from our airline showed up to check everyone in. Again with tech problems with our plane...again an airline problem, not the airport. We sat on the ground in the plane for 2 hours again as the tire was replaced. People were having to rebook connecting flights as we sat there. We finally got in the air and I barely made my connecting flight even though I had a 2 hour in between that the tech problems ate into. This airport just seems cursed to me and the people working there seem to have zero communication with airlines flying out of there. I will forever call it the "blackhole of airports." read more

McGhee Tyson Knoxville Airport was okay. It's a smaller airport so no American Airlines lounges. Security was efficient, and there was no line on my trip. While it may not have the sprawling size of larger airports, it makes up for it with a cozy atmosphere and convenience. The dining options were surprisingly good, offering a nice variety for pre-flight meals or snacks. Navigating the airport was a breeze, with clear signage and helpful announcements. Overall, a positive experience that makes flying in and out of Knoxville a hassle-free affair. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

Nice little airport. Bathrooms are clean and the water bottle refilling station dispenses water at a fast rate. Only negative part is the revolving door near security to exit the airport. Not sure if there is another door but it's pretty inconvenient for those with baby strollers, wheelchairs, or multiple luggages. It took about 8mins to get through that door to leave the airport. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

This is a small town airport and reminds me a little of Hobby Airport in Houston. At least what Hobby used to look like back in the 60s before Houston blew up and the airport expanded 10 times. A similar pedestrian ramp connects the main building to the terminal building, except it is much prettier and peaceful in Knoxville with the waterfall features. Also, security is before the ramp in Houston, but after the ramp in Knoxville. Once past security and in the terminal building, there is a T where you can walk left to Gates 1-6 or right to Gates 7-12. A sit-down restaurant, Ruby Tuesdays, is at the corner to the left side. The small food court, currently consisting of Starbucks, Quiznos, and Cinnabon, is to the right. Other than that, there is not much else to choose from. Rental cars are in the garage, but at the back of the parking garage. The exit to leave the garage for rental cars is very strange with a narrow road that's junky. Same thing when entering the garage with a rental car. You are required to drive all the way around the airport, past the main entrance then make your way back to the road where you entered just to get to the rental car entrance, where you find a hairpin turn on a narrow road, going down a slight hill to enter the garage. I guess this is their way of making sure you enter the garage slowly. Other than that, it's a nice little airport that's clean and has friendly staff. read more

3.5 stars Smaller airport and easy to navigate around. You drop your checked baggage off at a separate station, rather than the airline counter (or at least that's how it was for United). Enjoyed seeing the "bears" before the security line. The only issue was that there was one line open for TSA pre-check and several open for the regular TSA line, making it a longer wait for those of us who had pre-check. The other thing is that most of the seats are hit and miss for actually having power to the outlets 2023 #74 read more

All in all, I'd give a 4.5/5 overall when taking the airline-specific experiences out of the equation. You have all the things you'd want out of a city airport without all of the long walks and trams to get it: - ample parking - two floors only in airport, two main halls for all jetways - facilities are generally clean - lost luggage and support areas are usually staffed and helpful - TSA security is doing their thing - some snack and drink options, one restaurant only but still... As a frequent flyer it's safe to say I don't know what I'd do if this wasn't around. read more

Easy and simple. 12 gates, can't get lost! The food options are very limited. Starbucks, Quiznos, Cinnabon. It's lovely to have a rocking chair near the windows to wait. Clean and nice staff. read more

Super chill Airport! Knoxville Tennessee You won't regret visiting Tennessee!! There's so many attractions and places to visit. read more

So they decided to search my luggage without me present. Removed my TSA lock. Then proceeded to I don't know throw it away. Rifle through my luggage. Did they leave a note inside no. Did they leave everything as found no they did not. I did not notice that my luggage had been opened until I made it to the hotel. Got to the hotel to notice that my lock was removed. All of my stuff was rifled around. And three very important items for my event that I was coming for, we're missing. Called immediately. Guess what the gun on the phone said, sorry you should have checked your luggage before you left the airport... So I guess now you check your luggage, you check it in, then you get your luggage back, and you need to check and make sure everything you put in there is still in there. How do they know I have no idea. I happen to have a photo at 10:00 a.m. of what my luggage looked like. And they still are like nah too bad for you. I'm like I literally put all of these things in my luggage at 10:00 a.m. sealed up my luggage. Came to the airport. Checked my luggage in as is. 10 hours later through the planes and trains and automobiles... Things are missing out of my luggage along with the padlock that was on said luggage. Well domestic flights do not cover missing and or parts of your luggage that have might have been lost. Damage luggage maybe. Missing nope we didn't do it. We did not open your luggage. We did not potentially move two or three things and not put them back. Our bad too bad for you. Worst customer service of any airline I have ever flown with. I'm out over $300 worth of things because of these TSA people and the inability of American airlines to even look for the items that were removed from my luggage. And I can tell you right now every single one of those items has my name on it. read more

McGhee Tyson Airport - Items that have been removed. chair 150 bucks from REI. gloves including a dyneema valued it over $90. From my photo can see all items - Airports Near Me - Alcoa, Tennessee

Unfortunately this airport has not adapted in the decades I've been coming here. Their pickup and drop off are the same mess of cars standing still. The inside is still small with the lines for both normal and TSA pre-check customers stretching well past the security lines. Past security, it's a mess of people. So many people and not enough seating. The entire walkway is packed with people standing around for flights. Food selection is terrible. Just a few fast food options and a chain sit-down restaurant. And unfortunately no lounges at all. Would be nice to at least get something compatible with Priority Pass to help alleviate the mass of people. read more

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The line was super long they bumped us off the flight this has happened the last 2 times