Tri-Cities Airport reopens long-term express parking lot

BLOUNTVILLE — The Tri-Cities Airport long-term express lot will soon welcome travelers once again.The parking area will reopen in response to the continued increase in passenger traffic, the airport announced on Wednesday. According to a TCA press release, the lot was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parking area is a credit card-only lot that offers access to a covered walkway and is located past the rental car parking lot.According to the release, the airport saw 141,023 guests from January to May 2022, a 51% increase from the 93,383 passengers who traveled through the airport in 2021. The release also said TCA passenger numbers are at 85% of 2019 numbers for the same period.In May, 19,171 passengers boarded flights out of TCA, a 32% increase over the 14,411 enplanements during the same month last year, the release said. American Airlines accounted for nearly 51.10% of the overall total number of passengers traveling through the airport, the release said. According to airport officials, Delta Air Lines was next with a 39.42% share, followed by Allegiant with 9.48%.April's passenger numbers included race fans who attended the NASCAR Cup Series Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the release said. Allegiant has also extended its seasonal nonstop service to St. Pete/Clearwater for November 2022 through February 2023."We work closely with our airline partners to encourage additional seats in our market around large events, such as the NASCAR races and other events and festivals, that bring in passenger traffic," said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority executive director, in the release. "In this current environment, it speaks volumes about our market that TRI received additional capacity for the race."Looking ahead, airport officials also aim to add air service, especially as summer continues."This region is currently underserved with the number of seats versus the number of people wanting to travel," said Cossey. "As the airlines continue the slow recovery from the pandemic, we do think we'll see our capacity increase. It's important in this current market environment to book early, and if you find a price you like, book it."TCA is a full-service commercial airport serving Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Kentucky. TRI offers nonstop flights to five hubs (Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Orland Sanford, and St. Pete-Clearwater) on Allegiant, American, and Delta.For more information about Tri-Cities Airport, visit TRIflight.com.