Mc Ghee Tyson Airport (KTYS), Tennessee
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
McGhee Tyson Airport (KTYS) serves Knoxville, Tennessee, with a dual-runway complex shared between civil operations and Air National Guard activity. The field logged 90,051 total operations in 2025, with business aviation accounting for 37,381 of those movements according to FAA TFMSC data. Two parallel concrete and asphalt runways, both exceeding 9,000 feet, support a mix of airline, cargo, and general aviation traffic alongside military tenants operating under separate access procedures.
Runways
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 05L/23R, is 10,000 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport has Jet A, 100LL and A++ available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport recorded 37,381 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in October. Business aviation traffic at KTYS builds through the year, rising from a low near 2,300 operations in January to a peak above 3,900 in October before tapering into December.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month October, 3,915 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport averages 12.9 days above 90°F in July, 18.5 freeze days in January and 0.7 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88.4°F, and January the coldest, at 48.2°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport has published operating constraints in six categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Civil aircraft require prior permission to use taxiways G1, G2, G3, and the portion of taxiway G south of taxiway G4, which are under Air National Guard control.
Caution: the portion of taxiway A near the runway 05R approach end is not visible from the tower.
Air National Guard access requires prior permission with 24-hour notice, limited to official business only; contact airfield management. The facility operates 0700-1630 Monday through Friday, is closed every other Monday, and is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Military customs clearance requires a 72-hour prior permission request.
Aircraft in Design Group V or larger using the terminal ramp require prior permission.
Runways 05L/23R and 05R/23L have a weight-bearing capacity of 175 for aircraft with dual-tandem (2S) landing gear.
Caution: the hold-short line for runway 23L is located slightly north of taxiway A-8.
Distance-remaining signs on runway 05R/23L have been removed.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport, with increased risk from October through April.
Aircraft departing runways 23L and 23R should maintain runway heading until passing the residential area south of the extended centerline, unless instructed otherwise by ATC.
PCR VALUE: 761/R/B/W/T
PCR VALUE: 492/F/B/X/U
Military contract fuel is available.
Wide-body aircraft should use caution when turning onto taxiway A from ramps 4, 5, and 6.
Air National Guard operations should contact SODA control on frequency 303.025.
The Air National Guard command post operates continuously (H24). The airfield manager does not issue or store COMSEC materials for transient aircraft. Temporary storage of classified materials up to Top Secret is available at the command post.
The Air National Guard ramp is not suitable for AMC aircraft, except the C-21 type.
The general aviation ramp is not available for air carrier operations.
Air National Guard base operations run 0700-1630 Monday through Friday, closed every other Monday, and closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Contact base operations for details.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport has five airfields within 33 NM. The closest is Knoxville Downtown Island (KDKX), 10.88 NM northeast.
Part of the Knoxville area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KTYS
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KTYS.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What runways are available at KTYS?
KTYS operates two parallel paved runways. Runway 05L/23R is 10,000 feet long, 150 feet wide, and surfaced in concrete. Runway 05R/23L is 9,000 feet long, also 150 feet wide, but surfaced in asphalt. Both runways support large business and commercial aircraft, making McGhee Tyson Airport one of the better-equipped fields in the region for heavier turbine traffic.
Is customs available at McGhee Tyson Airport?
McGhee Tyson Airport has onsite CBP inspection services along with a USDA compliance agreement, supporting civil international arrivals. Military customs clearance is handled separately and requires a 72-hour prior permission request, per airfield remarks. Operators should plan documentation and notification timelines around these two distinct processes, since the civil CBP service and the military PPR requirement are not interchangeable. Crews arriving under military authority should not assume the civil customs arrangement applies to their operation.
Are there weight restrictions on the runways at KTYS?
Yes. Airfield remarks state that runways 05L/23R and 05R/23L have a weight-bearing capacity of 175 for aircraft with dual-tandem (2S) landing gear configurations. Operators of heavier aircraft with this gear type should confirm compatibility with this figure before planning operations into McGhee Tyson Airport. This limit applies specifically to the 2S gear category as reported in the airfield data and does not necessarily reflect capacity for other gear configurations.
Can civilian aircraft use the Air National Guard ramp areas at KTYS?
Civil aircraft access to certain taxiways at McGhee Tyson Airport is restricted. Prior permission is required for civil use of taxiways G1, G2, G3, and the portion of taxiway G south of taxiway G4, all of which fall under Air National Guard control. Additionally, the ARNG ramp is noted as unsuitable for AMC aircraft except the C-21 type. Operators should coordinate with airfield management in advance rather than assuming standard taxiway access applies in these areas.
What bird activity risk should crews expect at KTYS?
McGhee Tyson Airport reports bird activity on and in the vicinity of the airport, with increased risk specifically noted from October through April. This period overlaps with the airport's cooler months and coincides with seasonal bird movement patterns in the region. Crews operating during these months should factor bird strike risk into approach and departure planning. The remark applies to the general airport environment rather than a specific runway or approach path.