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.

As the industry saying goes, ‘once you’ve seen one airport, you’ve seen one airport.’ That’s one of many reasons why geographical information systems (GIS) play an extremely critical role in airport planning. Whether its mapping for on-property fire hydrants, historical building layouts, aerial noise contour, or maps for special events,  GIS is an aspect that is relied upon by all airport departments and customers.

In this episode, Blake Sartin, Senior GIS Manager for MKAA, discusses the unique uses for GIS and how people can get involved in the increasingly-popular career field.

Blake Sartin is the Senior GIS Manager for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. He has been with TYS since 2006.

The post GIS @ TYS appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Planning for the future of an airport system is a monumental task that considers every facet of airport usage, from passengers needs to aircraft fleet changes, and transportation trends to gate agreements. McGhee Tyson Airport is in the process of updating its Airport Master Plan, an FAA-required document that highlights the airport’s plan for the next 20 years.

In this episode, Bryan White, Vice President of Engineering and Planning for MKAA, along with Bill Barley, the Market Segments & Vice President of Aviation at CHA, discuss the planning process and the important ‘touch points’ that have to be considered when forecasting the future of any airport.

Bryan White (left) is the  is Vice President of Engineering and Planning for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. He has been with TYS since 2005. Bryan has been a guest on previous podcast episodes. Click here to listen to him talk about the current Airfield Modernization Program.

Bill Barley (right) is the Market Segments & Vice President of Aviation at CHA. He works as a consultant for the MKAA Engineering Department as a project manager.

The post Planning for the Future of TYS appeared first on From the Runway Up.

Recruiting businesses to East Tennessee (and more-specifically recruiting companies to do business on airport property) is a full-time job. The Knoxville Chamber (and many other local organizations) is tasked with selling Knoxville to businesses around the world in hopes that they bring more jobs and revenue to East Tennessee. In this episode, Doug Lawyer, Vice President of Economic Development for the Knoxville Chamber, discusses what all went into recruiting Cirrus Aircraft to TYS. He also talks about the status of our region and shares examples of many other businesses that have decided to call East Tennessee home.

Doug Lawyer is Vice President of Economic Development for the Knoxville Chamber. He’s been at the Chamber for 17 and works with the Airport Authority regularly.

The post Selling Our Story to Cirrus appeared first on From the Runway Up.

In 2015, Cirrus Aircraft announced they were naming Knoxville as the location of their Vision Center. Fast-forward three years later, and because of their increased presence and operations, 38% of all single-engine piston aircraft in the world were delivered in Knoxville. Hear from Stephen Deucker, Vice President of Owner Experience and General Manager of the Vision Center at Cirrus Aircraft, as he explains why they chose Knoxville as their home and how ‘The Cirrus Life’ is redefining aviation.

Stephen Deucker, Vice President, Owner Experience & General Manager, Vision Center

The post Inside ‘The Cirrus Life’ appeared first on From the Runway Up.