Tennessee Airports

[cdarr]

Actually, transatlantic 757 service is becoming increasingly common. Continental operates 757s between Newark and several European markets. I have coworkers who have flown regularly to Glasgow on a 757. Not the most comfortable way to fly, but it does make possible some international city pairs with lower volumes.

BNA-NRT is a different story, however. 757 has nothing close to the range needed. The smallest airliner with the 7,000mi range required is the 239 seat A340-200, which is not flown by any trans-pacific operators. The most likely candidate would be the 300 seat 777-200ER.

[cdarr]

You can't justify the traffic for a international flight if you don't have a flight from here to begin with.

Not true...airlines can look at existing traffic between city pairs on connecting flights to determine if there is adequate demand for a direct flight. For instance, they can see how many passengers are currently flying between BNA and Tokyo Narita (NRT) daily. The analysis would also include BNA passengers who fly to Far East cities that can be reached through a connection at NRT.

If there were enough people flying between BNA and the Far East on a daily basis to make a 300 passenger aircraft 80% full, the flight might be justified.

[Lexy]

Well there is a re-fueling that would have to take place on the west coast, so that means a 747 or anything bigger could do it. Not just a A340 I think. And as far as passengers are concerned, it doesn't have to be a full weeks worth of service. Just three or two flights a week would suffice in this case.

Thanks for correcting me on that cdarr, I forgot about researching passenger traffic to and from. Either way, there doesn't have to be a hub here to get the flight to Japan or to Europe UNLESS it is an American carrier that is doing the flight. If it isn't a Heritage American company doing the flight....the hub idea is out the door.

[Lexy]

Nashville sets new passenger record.

FY 2006 saw over 9.5 million pasengers at the airport. A large chunk was O&D too! Which is fantastic!

The airport is expecting right at 10 million by the end of this calender year to pass through the gates. This beats the old record that was set during the days of the small American Hub.

I'd say we have recoverd quite well wouldn't you guys?

[AmandaHugginkiss]

Nashville sets new passenger record.

FY 2006 saw over 9.5 million pasengers at the airport. A large chunk was O&D too! Which is fantastic!

The airport is expecting right at 10 million by the end of this calender year to pass through the gates. This beats the old record that was set during the days of the small American Hub.

I'd say we have recoverd quite well wouldn't you guys?

Oh yeah.. This is great news for BNA.. Isn't Nashville up there in the ranks as far as busiest operations for SWA? Keep it up Nashville.. Things are looking up for BNA.

[Lexy]

Isn't Nashville up there in the ranks as far as busiest operations for SWA?

Yes it is. Nashville is one of their Focus Cities, which is their version of a hub so to speak.

[Tennesseestorm]

No comments on Knoxville (McGee Tyson Airport), Bristol-Kingsport-Johnson City (Tri-Cities Airport) or Chattanooga (Lovell Field Airport)?

Strange.

[Lexy]

No, but I would love to hear some stuff on them. I know Knoxville has a considerable footprint with their airport.

[rocky top buzz]

I personally don't know of any major flights into any of those airports, although I'm sure there are some. Can you enlighten us TNStorm?

[Lexy]

I personally don't know of any major flights into any of those airports, although I'm sure there are some. Can you enlighten us TNStorm?

I know Northwest and Delta fly into both, but other than that I am in the dark. So to speak.

[rocky top buzz]

well, lets do some research one by one...

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport/Lovell Field (CHA)

Destinations include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Memphis, Washington DC, and beginning October 1, Houston

Major carriers include Delta Connections, NWA Airlink, US Airways Express, Continental Airlines, and American Eagle.

To sum it up... pretty much a regional commuter airport. If you want one stop flights anywhere major, you drive to Nashville for low rates, or Atlanta for hundreds of non-stop flights.

[rocky top buzz]

McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee

Destinations include the following:

- Atlanta, GA

- Cleveland, OH

- Charlotte, NC

- Cincinnati, KY

- Washington, DC (National)

- Denver, CO

- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

- Detroit, MI

- Newark, NJ

- Washington, D.C. (Dulles)

- Houston, TX

- New York, NY (LaGuardia)

- Orlando, FL

- Memphis, TN

- Minneapolis, MN

- Chicago, IL (O'Hare)

- Philadelphia, PA

- Pittsburgh, PA

- Tampa, FL

Major carriers include Delta Connections (ASA and Comair), NWA Airlink, US Airways, United Express, Continental Express, and American Eagle.

TYS offers more destinations that CHA, but with one major drawback: while you can drive to Nashville for cheap flights, Atlanta is another 2 hours further from TYS than CHA. So if your flying out of knoxville, you'll probably just fly and connect somewhere or drive to Nashville for Southwest

[Lexy]

LOL! You beat me to it! Good list. Knoxville has a nice airport with the ANG base there and all. They get some neat jets in there from time to time.

[rocky top buzz]

Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA (TRI)

Destinations include Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, and Orlando.

Major carriers include Delta Connections, NWA Airlink, US Airways Express.

This is the smallest of the 3 regional airports. You are pretty much flying from here to connect somewhere else. And the drive to a larger airport is a haul at best. It's far enough from TYS to justify a regional airport, but not large enough to justify a larger flight schedule.

[rocky top buzz]

To sum up all 3, Knoxville is the largest and in my opinion, best primed for future growth. It's not as close to Atlanta and Nashville as CHA, and it has a larger population base to build on than either CHA or TRI. My personal opinion is that TYS would be a great place for a mini-hub because you could draw from the whole region including chattanooga. I have no stats to back it up, but I believe a lot of Chattanoogans go to Atlanta for flights. I know there are transport companies devoted specifically to this market. If TYS expanded, I'm sure most of those people would rather just go to TYS.

I've never made the trip, but what is it from Chattanooga to Knoxville? About an hour?

[Lexy]

^ Maybe. Hour or hour and a half at the most perhaps. There are transport companies that transport people from Chattanooga to Atlanta and Nashville on a multiple time, daily schedule. There is two of them that do this I believe. One is Groome Transportation and the others name escapes me at the moment. But you see their vans here in town over at the airport a bunch.

[flith]

well, lets do some research one by one...

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport/Lovell Field (CHA)

Destinations include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Memphis, Washington DC, and beginning October 1, Houston

Major carriers include Delta Connections, NWA Airlink, US Airways Express, Continental Airlines, and American Eagle.

To sum it up... pretty much a regional commuter airport. If you want one stop flights anywhere major, you drive to Nashville for low rates, or Atlanta for hundreds of non-stop flights.

I have one more flight to add for Chattanooga. Dallas/Ft. Worth via American Eagle. It's documents the problems that CHA has very well.

The Chattanooga Airport President, has also stated that service to Las Vegas or Orlando may be started some time in the future. Total seat capacity is down 17% 9300 to 7700 per month, however emplanments are only down 6.5%.

The Airport is also trying to "grow" the N. Georgia market, a region it hasn't advertised much in, in the past. The assumption was why even try since ATL is so close. They hope to turn Atlanta's traffic conjestion into an advantage for CHA. If you live North of Atlanta you can avoid many of the traffic issues by going to CHA, and not have to deal with a busy airport.

Chattanooga had a direct flight on ValueJet/AirTran to Orlando in the 90's but it never achieved the ridership that the airline wanted. Other flights that have come and gone are Nashville, New York, and Washington DC.

Here is a link to Challenge 2010 a study done on the airport a few years ago.

[TennBear]

I think that I can do a fair job in comparing the four main Tennessee airports. I have flown in and out of all of them. If you want ease of getting in and out of the airport, Chattanooga is very nice. You can park very close, there are no lines, the distances to walk are very short, the terminal is fairly new and clean. Of course there are only something like four gates. It is very small and you basically can only fly to a few destinations. The main ones being Atlanta or Cincinnati. The downside of all that closeness is that you don't have many flights and you only have 3 or 4 airlines.

Memphis has a very attractive terminal and that is a complement in that it is the oldest of all the airports. The terminal has mushroom columns that are pure mid-century modern. The terminal actually looks much more attractive today than when it was built, because at the time only the central terminal had been built. It now has three terminals. The two side terminals are each half the width of the central terminal giving the building the scale that was missing prior to expansion. The airport has a number of airlines, but primarily NorthWest and Delta control most of the passenger traffic. It of course has a hub for NWA. It is in the south central part of town and has a connector to the interstate, so it is not to far removed for most of the people in the area.

Knowville or should I say Alcoa is a clean, but rather bland airport built in the late 70's. Again it has very few airlines and flights, but it doesn't have the small intimacy that Chattanooga has. It is larger and the distances are greater, but you still have the limitations on where you can go. It is in Alcoa. So it is rather removed from a number of people within the region. This has improved with the extension of the Pelissippi Parkway south of I40 to near the airport.

Nashville, newer like Chattanooga and though not an interesting building it is clean and modern. It had a major airline Hub for a period of time and a period where after losing it went into decline. It has managed to right itself very well by gaining SouthWest and becoming a strong cog in their system. It has the best prices of any city in Tennessee. Thanks again to SouthWest. It is hurt some by how hemmed in it is, but is very centrally located for most people in the metro area.

Depends on what you want, Memphis has the best architecture and the most number of flights. Nashville has the best prices and is the most centrally located. Chattanooga is the most vistor friendly. Everything is close and easily found by patrons. Knoxville is the closest to Neyland Stadium. (I had to say something good)

[rocky top buzz]

TB, no info on your experiences at TRI?

I think you make a valid point about CHA/North Georgia. As The I-75 corridor grows (and it is growing), there is a lot of possibility for that airport. If I lived in Rome, GA., I'd much rather drive to CHA than ATL which by the way is south of town. I think that's part of the reason ATL will never see a northside airport. CHA already has the infrastructure.

[TennBear]

TB, no info on your experiences at TRI?

I think you make a valid point about CHA/North Georgia. As The I-75 corridor grows (and it is growing), there is a lot of possibility for that airport. If I lived in Rome, GA., I'd much rather drive to CHA than ATL which by the way is south of town. I think that's part of the reason ATL will never see a northside airport. CHA already has the infrastructure.

Rocky Top, I've never flown in or out of Tri-Cities. The most that I can say is that I have driven past it. But even then, I didn't see it.

[Bears]

Anybody fly out of Jackson? I was suprised when I first heard they had commercial service to St. Louis. RK could probably give more info about it.

[Lexy]

Good analysis about the TN airports, but one correction. Nashville (BNA) owns a large tract of land for a second runway and a second terminal (if needed) just to the west of the airport. Expansion plans call for a fifth runway, so it isn't quite as hemmed in as one would first think. They sub-lease a lot of their land to families with the option to buy them out and move them when the time is right for expansion.

[rocky top buzz]

I had heard BNA has the land for a 5th runway; the question is when! And If the built a second terminal, It should be an expansion that requires a people mover (train or moving sidewalk). If there's not THAT big of a need, the current terminal should just be expanded.

I didn't know Jackson had commercial flights? Where is the airport?

[Lexy]

I had heard BNA has the land for a 5th runway; the question is when! And If the built a second terminal, It should be an expansion that requires a people mover (train or moving sidewalk). If there's not THAT big of a need, the current terminal should just be expanded.

I didn't know Jackson had commercial flights? Where is the airport?

Well there has been the rumor around here, and I don't know how true this is so don't quote me on it, that there is an airline that has shown intrest in hubbing the airport in the future. If that happens, then the fifth runway will be a "have to" just to keep current service up without disrupting it any. Currently SWA flies around 85-90 operations a day here and the next on the list of OPD is American, STILL! LOL!! I know that runway 20Right-2Left (next to the cargo ramp) is going to be extended over Murfreesboro Road in the near future. It will also be brought up to compliance with newer aircraft (i.e. A380 standards) for FedEx's terminal here. Who knows, but the long range plan at Nashville is a fifth runway on the west side that is another north-south runway. People movers and all have not been discussed, but I am sure it will happen if a second terminal is built. Keep in mind the current terminal is about as big as it can get unless you move a bunch, and I mean a BUNCH, of infrastructure. LOL!! Only time will tell.

[Bears]

I didn't know Jackson had commercial flights? Where is the airport?

Never been but I've seen the exit. Its on the western outskits of Jackson behind some manfacturing plant. According to the airports website http://www.mklairport.com/ they have two daily flights to St. Louis with a Jetstream 32 (seats a whopping 19 people )