ALCOA, Tenn. — In 2021, nearly two million people flew through McGhee Tyson Airport.
That's just shy of the all-time record set in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We anticipate that [passenger volume] will continue to grow with some of the new destinations that Allegiant has added to our market," spokesperson Becky Huckaby said. "As passengers increase, we need to be able to accommodate that and provide them with the services that they need."
Airport leaders are constantly looking at ways to expand so they can meet the rising passenger volume in East Tennessee.
"We've done several projects here at the airport to not only accommodate the return of passengers but also to anticipate the growth in passengers that are to come," Huckaby said.
In 2019, some parking lots at the Knoxville airport reached capacity. That could happen again in the next several months if passenger volume continues to return at this rate.
That's why they presented plans for an additional temporary surface lot to the Alcoa Planning Commission last week.
"We're studying every option that we have available not just in parking, but in the building as well," Huckaby said. "In our long-term plan, there is an addition to the garage."
That addition is years away because it requires the completion of the Alcoa Highway construction first. A surface lot could relieve some of the congestion in the meantime.
"Any kind of attractions, things that are evolving and changing in our community, new businesses opening — all of that has a direct impact on the airport," Huckaby said. "Any growth in the community, the airport tends to see."