Tri-Cities Airport Looks To Expand Air Service, General Aviation
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Tri-Cities Airport wants to think bigger and more like a business as it works to attract new flights, expand general aviation and give travelers more reasons to fly from the airport rather than drive to larger airports.
That was the message Monday morning during the State of the Airport event at East Tennessee State University's Martin Center, where Tri-Cities Airport President and CEO Gene Cossey outlined the airport's current operations and plans for future growth.
“We are moving away from running the airport like a utility and more like a business,” Cossey said.
Cossey said much of the airport's operation is dictated by state and federal laws and regulations, but airport officials are looking for opportunities to grow the facility and make it more competitive.
The Blountville-based airport currently has commercial flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg.
Recently, in May, American Airlines launched service between Tri-Cities and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Cossey said those flights are performing well.
Breeze Airways, a low-cost carrier, launched nonstop flights to Orlando and Washington Dulles last year. The Orlando flights have performed well, while the Dulles service has not met passenger expectations, Cossey said.
Breeze recently announced that it will discontinue its flights between Tri-Cities and Washington Dulles after Nov. 30. The Orlando flights will continue.
Cossey said the airport needs area residents to make more use of Tri-Cities when possible rather than driving to other airports for flights.
“Stop driving to Asheville for Allegiant flights,” Cossey said.
Allegiant Air currently offers service from Tri-Cities to Orlando and St. Petersburg. Cossey said the airline could add flights, but passenger demand is an important factor in determining whether additional service is viable.
Allegiant is a low-cost airline that often serves leisure traffic from small and medium-sized airports, such as Tri-Cities. Many of its flights are also seasonal.
Cossey said the airport is also placing renewed emphasis on general aviation, which includes private aircraft and business aviation.
A new hangar was recently built at the airport, but Cossey said more space is needed.
“We don't have enough space for general aviation,” he said.
General aviation services can be an important factor for businesses considering where to locate, Cossey said. Companies may look for airports with available hangars and other services for private aircraft.
Cossey recalled one business that approached the airport looking for a hangar. Tri-Cities did not have one available, and the company ultimately located elsewhere.
“We are working on building more infrastructure,” he said.
The airport's strategic plan is also being updated. Cossey said the previous plan had not been updated since the 1990s.
The new strategic plan focuses on the airport's objectives and goals, including commercial air service and general aviation.
Cossey said there is a renewed effort to grow its general aviation business.
Cossey also discussed an unusual designation held by Tri-Cities Airport. Tri-Cities is technically an international airport because of its Foreign Trade Zone.
The designation allows businesses to handle, store and process international cargo under special customs provisions, including deferred, reduced or eliminated U.S. customs duties and taxes.
However, the airport does not market itself as an international airport because it does not have international commercial passenger flights.
Large aircraft, including Boeing 747s, can land at Tri-Cities, Cossey said. The airport's limitations become challenging when those aircraft need to take off fully loaded.
Because of the length of the runways at Tri-Cities, larger aircraft have limitations on how much weight they can carry when departing.
Cossey also discussed challenges that are outside the airport's control.
The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated flight caps at Chicago O'Hare International Airport because of capacity concerns.
United Airlines had planned to begin flights between Tri-Cities and O'Hare, but those flights have been postponed until at least October 2027 because of the FAA's restrictions.
Other airports and planned flights have also been affected by the O'Hare caps.
Industry trends
Kirk Lovell, managing director of air service consulting at Mead & Hunt, also spoke during the event.
Lovell discussed the airline industry's rising fuel and labor costs and how those expenses affect air service. He also discussed the differences between legacy airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines and smaller carriers such as Breeze Airways.
Breeze, Lovell said, is the nation's fastest-growing airline.
Michael Garko, also of Mead & Hunt, discussed how those industry trends are affecting Tri-Cities Airport.
Garko said the airport has seen average airfares decline by about 10%. The airport has also added seats and flights, including additional service to and from Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta.
The speakers also discussed the possibility of flights between Tri-Cities and Nashville.
Cossey said there is interest in Nashville service, but there currently are not enough passengers to support a commercial route.
Charter flights could be an option, he said, but they would be too expensive for most travelers.
A Nashville route could become possible if Nashville International Airport were to become a hub airport for an airline, Cossey said.
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