McGhee Tyson to get electric charging stations

Aug. 23--Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport will be adding electric vehicle charging stations at its short-term parking area, an airport spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Metropolitan Airport Authority spokeswoman Becky Huckaby also announced that the airport saw the largest drop in average airfare rates in the nation during the first quarter of 2012, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The Airport Authority board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve an agreement in which Black Bear Solar Institute will install two electric vehicle charging stations on the first-floor, short-term parking area of the parking garage at McGhee Tyson, Huckaby said.

This is part of an effort by the organization to create a "green gateway" of charging stations in East Tennessee, and Huckaby said the stations will be installed at no charge to the airport. Other than the usual parking fee, visitors will be able to use the chargers for free, Huckaby said.

According to the Bureau of Transportation, the average airfare at McGhee Tyson dropped 9.5 percent from $449 in first quarter 2011 to $406 in first quarter 2012.

This was the steepest drop in fares in the nation and compares to a 4.8 percent increase nationally, according to the bureau.

Copyright 2012 - The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.