Traveling by plane is fun — jet-setting over beautiful blue waters or rolling hills, taking in cloud formations, and landing in a completely different location in a matter of hours is unlike anything else.
The whole navigating the airport part? Not so much. 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).
