Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Five commercial airports brief House Transportation Committee on growth, state funding and economic impact
Summary
CEOs from Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Tri-Cities presented a five-year plan to the committee, reporting record passenger growth and urging continued state investment. The five airports said combined economic impact exceeds $24 billion.
CEOs from Tennessee’s five commercial service airports briefed the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 18, 2025, outlining capital plans, recent passenger growth, and the economic return from state investment.
Speakers representing Memphis International, Nashville International, McGhee Tyson (Knoxville), Chattanooga Metropolitan and Tri-Cities described a five-year capital planning process coordinated with state officials and asked for continued state support to leverage bond financing. The group said total state support to the five airports was steadily rising and noted the current state participation this year of approximately $109,000,000; presenters said a long-term goal is to reach $125,000,000 in state participation to sustain projects and leverage additional borrowing.
Economic and passenger figures presented to the committee included: Memphis International reported about 5,000,000 passengers with roughly 2% year-over-year growth; Tri-Cities reported roughly 500,000 passengers and about 12% growth in 2024; Nashville reported 25,200,000 passengers and multi-year growth averages in the high single digits to double digits over the past decade; Knoxville reported exceeding 3,300,000 passengers with consecutive record years (2023 growth about 14%, 2024 growth about 18%, January 2025 up 20%); and Chattanooga reported more than 1,100,000 passengers in 2024 and January 2025 up about 20% year over year. Presenters said the five commercial airports together generate about $24 billion in economic impact to Tennessee and produce roughly $868 million in state tax revenue.
Airport leaders said state funding is an efficient investment because modest state contributions can be leveraged to access bond markets and larger capital programs; presenters gave the example of using a $40 million state commitment to underwrite a $360 million project. Committee members asked about safety, equipment age, parking revenues and workforce needs. Airport representatives replied that airport-owned equipment is maintained or upgraded as needed, FAA-supported navigation and air-traffic equipment is regularly tested and maintained, and airports have firefighting and snow-removal capabilities and runways and towers subject to FAA oversight. On revenue, airports noted parking is a substantial revenue source that funds operations and capital reinvestment; airports said they benchmark parking and concessions against peer markets.
Speakers who introduced themselves included Terry Blue (Memphis International Airport), Doug Crillen (Nashville International Airport), Patrick Wilson (Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority), April Cameron (Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport), and Gene Causey (Tri-Cities). The airports asked the committee for continued state support for planned capital programs and stressed that continued backing helps attract private and bond financing.
