Facility to expand hangar space being built at airport

The company handling fixed-base operations at McGhee Tyson Airport has begun construction on a 22,000-square-foot facility that will house two new hangars.

TAC Air is expanding to have additional space for its equipment and to accommodate hangar space for at least eight clients.

The additional hangar space will be for private aircraft, said Randall Honea, general manager with TAC Air.

The additional space can also handle an overflow of aircraft, such as when 100 private aircraft came in last year for the University of Florida versus University of Tennessee football game, Honea said.

TAC Air of Texarkana, Texas, provides general aviation services, including air-ON KNOXNEWS.COM

See more about TAC Air and McGhee Tyson Airport.

plane maintenance, storage and fuel, to the airport. The additional two new hangars will have 2,500 square feet of office space and 2,000 square feet of covered parking. The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority approved the approximately $1 million expansion last fall. Honea said they hope to be done with the construction and have at least some of the new clients in the hangars by early October. One of the hangars is for one client only, and at the client's request Honea would not name him.

However, Honea said all the clients for the new space "are from the Knoxville area."

He also said there's enough extra space available that they can handle some overnight stays by private aircraft.

Last fall, the Airport Authority gave TAC Air a 10-year extension, giving the company a 30-year lease.

In addition to providing space and maintenance services for private aircraft, TAC Air also provides refueling services for the commercial and military aircraft at the airport.

Among its services, TAC Air offers onsite rental cars, de-icing, limousine service, full service avionics and maintenance, and 24-hour customer service.