Minutes matter…The golden hour…Time is of the essence…Each of these phrases are often used when referring to medical emergency situations where taking quick action means the difference between life and death. In this episode, we visit with Hella Ewing, VP of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer, to discuss how aviation plays a role in the life-saving mission of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.  From assisting in the hospital’s recruitment of top-tier physicians to being a crucial requirement in their organ transplant program, McGhee Tyson Airport supports ETCH’s operation by providing quick access to transportation when it matters most.

Hella Ewing, MSN, BSN, RN, is the Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH). She has been with ETCH for 4 years and has worked in pediatrics for more than 13 years.

When she’s not at the hospital, Hella enjoys fly fishing and traveling with her husband.

• East Tennessee Children’s Hospital: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
• East Tennessee Children’s Hospital: Urgent Care Center Just for Kids
• East Tennessee Children’s Hospital: Providing High Quality Pediatric Care since 1937
• Ways to Support East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
• East Tennessee Children’s Hospital: Scripps Network Tower

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
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The post When Minutes Matter: How Children’s Hospital Uses Aviation to Save Lives appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Planning a vacation can be overwhelming, especially when answering question #1: ‘Where do I want to travel?’ From researching flight options to securing hotel accommodations, travelers can either have fun planning their entire experience or lean on an expert to make all of the right decisions. Just in time for spring and summer travel planning, we speak with Alexandra Stockton, a luxury travel expert, who shares some tips on beginning to plan your vacation and also shares the top destinations her clients are visiting right now. Who’s ready for a trip to the Bahamas or to see the Northern Lights? Now Boarding!

• Alexandra Stockton is a luxury travel expert at Smart Flyer. She specializes in planning honeymoons, family travel, and adventures.

• Forbes: ‘Harbor Island in the Bahamas is the Best Place for a Tropical Escape’
• The Dunmore Resort in the Bahamas
• Guide to Iceland: Northern Lights
• Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach in Miami, FL
• Be sure to follow Alexandra on Instagram to stay up-to-date on her latest travels.

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post Trending Bucket List Destinations for Spring & Summer Travel appeared first on From the Runway Up.

While our episodes typically focus on behind-the-scenes airport operations, one of the most important parts of an airport system is its passengers. When each passenger enters the airport, they bring their personal history with them. From past travel experiences to reuniting with loved ones from all over the world, an airport is a great place to make connections and build relationships that last a lifetime. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this episode features three heartwarming stories that show how TYS has served as the backdrop for one of the most important and exciting days of a few of our travelers’ lives. 

• Sarah Michelle Photography’s blog post on Abbie and Cody’s ‘Airport Proposal’
• Photos of Elizabeth and Tim’s airport engagement (below)

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post Love is in the Air at TYS! appeared first on From the Runway Up.

When most people think of airports and air travel, they typically think of commercial airlines and people traveling for business or leisure. But have you ever thought about how endangered species get transported to zoos across the U.S. to accommodate their species survival plans? The answer: airplanes! In this episode, Zoo Knoxville’s President and CEO, Lisa New, discusses how the zoo relies heavily on air cargo to transport animals and its staff across the world. We also hear from Einstein, an African Gray parrot, (yes, you read that right) about his travels across the country.

• Lisa New (left) is the President and CEO of Zoo Knoxville.
• Adam Patterson (right) is the Bird Show Lead Trainer at Zoo Knoxville and Einstein (also pictured) is Zoo Knoxville’s very talented African Gray parrot.

• USA Today: ‘New tiger will start zoo’s endangered species breeding’
• Video: Arya Malayan tiger settling in to her new home in Knoxville
• Video: Red Panda transported from Knoxville Zoo to Idaho

• ‘SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction is Helping Zoos and Aquariums Flex their Conservation Muscle’
• Animal Trafficking: Did you know that 96 elephants are killed everyday in Africa?
• Zoo Knoxville Announces Improvements to Reptile and Amphibian Center
• Video of Einstein’s TED Talk in 2006
• Total Freight Operations at TYS in 2017: 5,103,336
• Air Cargo Connects the World Infographic (below)

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post Transporting Tigers, and Pandas, and Birds, Oh My! appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Every aspect of an airport is planned and designed to meet the needs of the traveling public, and some of those needs are requested even before a plane ticket is booked. Whether its mobile websites, water-refilling stations, or aesthetically-pleasing construction walls, airport staff listen to the experts when planning for current and future growth—the experts being their passengers. In this episode, we hear from special guests from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Tampa International Airport on how they handle the passenger experience and what they think the passenger experience will look like in the years to come.  

• Christina Saull (left) is the Corporate Communications Manager at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
• Danny Valentine (right) is the Senior Communications Manager at Tampa International Airport (TPA).

• ACI-NA’s MarComm Conference and Award Ceremony in Ottawa, ON
• ‘Officials Unveil New Facial Recognition System at Dulles International Airport’
• D.C. Airports Mobile App
• Tampa International Airport’s Construction Walls
• Airport FAQs for McGhee Tyson Airport
• Dulles International Airport’s ‘Donuts with Dad’ Father’s Day Event (photos below)

‘An airport controls so little, but we are responsible in the eyes of our consumer for so much.’ 

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post Passenger Amenities Constantly Change, How Do Airports Keep Up with the Trends? appeared first on From the Runway Up.

This year has been a record-breaking year at McGhee Tyson Airport. From hitting an annual passenger record in January of 2018 and then hitting a huge passenger milestone (2 million passengers!) in December of 2018, to announcing new nonstop flights, and welcoming a new Airport Authority president, 2018 was definitely one for the (log) books! In the episode, From the Runway Up hosts, Becky and Caitlin, highlight the top 18 events that happened at TYS in 2018.

No guests in this episode, just your hosts- Becky (right) and Caitlin (left)!

• In January, we announced a record-breaking 2017 with 1,988,019 passengers.
• In April and May, we hosted another Aviation Academy.
• In October, we completed the airport’s 80th Anniversary campaign.
• In October, American Airlines announced nonstop flights to New York City beginning in February of 2019.
• In November, From the Runway Up won an international communications award at ACI-NA‘s MARCOM in Ottowa, Canada.
• In November, we welcomed Patrick Wilson to the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority as our new President.
• In December, we reached a milestone of service 2 million passengers in 2018 (final year-end numbers will be announced in January 2019).

• Aviation Academy Episode
• HonorAir Knoxville Episode
• Art in the Airport Episode
• Air Service Development Episode
• Allegiant Air Recruitment Episode
• Airfield Modernization Program Episode
• Full-Scale Emergency Exercise Episode
• Bill Marrison’s Years of Service Episode

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod
• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post Top 18 at TYS in 2018 appeared first on From the Runway Up.

McGhee Tyson Airport has changed drastically since Bill Marrison walked into the terminal in 1982. From a new airport operations building, fire and rescue building, and an airport terminal building, to the largest construction project in airport history and the potential of adding a new general aviation airport into the system, Bill has experienced a lot in his 36 years at TYS. In this episode, Bill Marrison discusses how his love for aviation began, talks about his favorite airport projects, and shares what he hopes lives on as his ‘airport legacy’.

Bill Marrison is the President of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (MKAA) and will be retiring on December 31, 2018, after 36 years of service to MKAA. He has been involved in the aviation industry for more than 50 years.

The post 36 Years in Less Than 36 Minutes appeared first on From the Runway Up.

As you learned in our previous episode, air service development is complex, time-consuming, and constantly changing. So what’s the ‘method behind the madness’? In this episode, we speak with an airline representative about what airlines look for when selecting communities to provide air service, and more specifically, why Allegiant chose Knoxville as a base of operations.

Hilarie Grey (right) is the Director of Corporate Communications for Allegiant. Before working with Allegiant, Hilarie worked in communications for McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

The post ‘See You in the Skies’: An Airline’s Take on Air Service appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Air Service Development is a tricky task that looks different at every airport, but one thing is consistent across the industry: Airlines are in the business of making money. Shocking right? Each airport is responsible for convincing airlines that they will be profitable in their market, and that can be a job that takes years.

In this episode, Jim Evans, Vice President of Marketing and Air Service Development for MKAA, discusses what airports are responsible  for in regards to recruiting airlines, what the state of air service looks like in Knoxville, and what the industry can expect in the future.

Jim Evans is the Vice President of Marketing and Air Service Development for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. He has been with TYS for 12 years and in the aviation industry for more than 35 years.

The post Pick Me! Pick Me! An Inside Look at Recruiting Allegiant Air to TYS appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Every three years, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority is required by the FAA to host a full-scale emergency exercise. On October 27, 2018, more than 20 local emergency response agencies and more than 100 volunteers worked together to simulate an aircraft incident and practiced the required response.

In this special episode, we speak with the airport’s Director of Public Safety, Tom Aiken, and Lieutenant Kelly Simerly about what it takes to successfully implement a mass emergency exercise and its importance to the airport and the traveling public.  We also interviewed volunteers and agencies about their role in the exercise and the reason they volunteer year-after-year.

The post Special Edition: Airport Emergency Response Exercise appeared first on From the Runway Up.