06/12/2026
We've seen the lines. We’ve seen your photos. We know the security lines have been long lately.
Summer travel is in full swing: airlines have added more flights during the most popular departure windows, and with the addition of a new airline this year, our busiest times are busier than ever.
Peak travel periods continue to be:
✈️ 5–7 am
✈️ 11 am–1 pm
✈️ 4–6 pm
Many travelers prefer early morning departures, which means a large number of flights are scheduled within a short timeframe. While TSA officers work to move passengers through as efficiently as possible, the checkpoint can only process so many travelers at once. And when screening equipment requires maintenance or experiences outages, processing times can become even longer.
That's why you've recently seen queue lines outside the checkpoint area — something we historically haven't needed at TYS but is now a reality of our continued growth.
The good news? We're planning for the future. Design work is underway to expand our TSA security checkpoint, helping us better accommodate the record number of passengers choosing to fly from TYS.
In the meantime, we're asking travelers to arrive two and a half hours before their scheduled departure and to plan ahead during peak travel periods.
Thank you for your patience, your support, and for choosing to fly local. We're busy, we're growing, and we're doing everything we can to keep East Tennessee moving.
