Airport Theory may be the latest trend, but take it from us, your new travel experts, catching a flight doesn’t have to be stressful.
To help make your time at the McGhee Tyson Airport as smooth as possible, we’ve created a guide that covers everything from gates and parking to details on the airport’s 37 nonstop flights.
Current airport updates
Since the beginning of 2025, TYS has taken off with quite a bit of news. This includes the announcement of nine additional destinations, from Allegiant adding Sarasota, FL to the introduction of Southwest Airlines in 2026 with four nonstop flights. Bonus: Southwest sweetened the deal by adding Denver, CO as a fifth stop.
Most notably, however, is TYS’ Flight Plan — a major renovation + development project that will continue over the course of a decade. The plan’s first phase launched in November 2024: the parking garage expansion. Let’s take a look at the overview.
- Phase 1 | Parking garage expansion + terminal roadway improvement
- $186 million parking garage with six levels — to be completed by 2027
- Expansion of East and West Ramps
- Phase 2 | Concourse seating expansion
- Phase 3 | Concourse gate expansion
- Phase 4 | TSA security checkpoint expansion
- Phase 5 | Ticket counter expansion
- Phase 6 | Terminal building escalator replacement
- Phase 7 | Concessions expansion
Pro tip: Frequent flyers can sign up for updates through the airport’s newsletter.
What to know
- Parking | Not everyone has a bestie that will drop them off at the terminal at 3 a.m., but thankfully TYS has options. See rates by the lot.
- TSA | According to the airport’s website, you should follow standard guidelines of arriving two hours early for domestic + 2.5 hours early for international flights.
- Map it out | If you’re like us and need to completely visualize a place before you step foot inside, these maps of the entire airport will be your saving grace.
- Food and drink | Fuel up for your flight at one of McGee Tyson’s five restaurants or shops. Skip the small airplane snacks for a full meal at Ruby Tuesday.
- Reminder | Flyers now need a REAL ID to board commercial flights in the US — see a full list of acceptable IDs.
- Flight status | While we recommend staying updated via your respective airline, you can also check the airport’s dashboard for your flight status in a pinch.
Nonstop flights
TYS offers 30+ nonstop domestic flights across all US regions. Here are 10 flights we’re eyeing.
Pro tip: Remember that flight times and schedules will often change — you should rely on your respective airline for exact timing and to stay updated on any changes.
- Boston, MA | Allegiant (Check out our sister city, BOStoday, for fun things to do.)
- Charlotte, NC | American Airlines (Check out our sister city, CLTtoday, for fun things to do.)
- St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay | Allegiant (Check out our sister city, TBAYtoday, for fun things to do.)
- Austin | Allegiant (Check out our sister city, ATXtoday, for fun things to do.)
- Las Vegas, NV | Allegiant
- Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN | Delta + American Airlines
- Denver, CO | Allegiant, Frontier Airlines + United
- New York, NY | Delta + American Airlines
- Phoenix, AZ | Allegiant
- Chicago, IL | O’Hare (through American Airlines and United) + Midway (through Allegiant)
Bonus: Get lower fares by signing up for Going. You’ll get emailed when flights are 40-90% cheaper than usual. Get a two-week free trial of the Premium plan, which lets you set custom destination flight alerts (score).
