KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – McGhee-Tyson Airport was born in Knoxville, where West High School sits today. On Thursday, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to dissolve the Knoxville Metropolitan Airport Authority Board of Commissioners on July 1, bringing an end to almost 100 years of the city running the airport.
Realistically, the state funds our general aviation airports and our big commercial airports. So, as we are the ones that invest in the airports, it makes sense that we have a poignant authority to it,” said State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville).
In 1935, Knoxville, Maryville, and Alcoa acquired the original 351 acres that McGhee-Tyson was built on. The city of Knoxville maintained governing control and by 1978, it created the MKAA board to run the airport.
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“The cities started them basically, but they really don’t put any actual cash dollars in. So the airports run off of either earned revenue or some federal grants, but mostly a lot of what we put in as a state and invest in them,” said Duncan Massey.
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Now, the City of Knoxville will appoint just three members to the board, with the Speaker of the House, Speaker of the Senate, and the governor each appointing two members. Duncan Massey argued this allows for all East Tennesseans to be represented on the board…