Category: News

Blountville, Tenn. – Aviation and history enthusiasts can view, tour and/or ride in a World War II, B-17 aircraft at Tri-City Aviation between September 8-13, 2020. The Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum’s “Flying Legends of Victory” Tour, along with several displays will bring history to life on the ramp of Tri-Cities Aviation.

The B-17G Flying Fortress is named “Sentimental Journey” and was built in 1944. The aircraft is one of five B-17s in the world that is still flying out of the almost 13,000 produced from 1936 to 1945. 8,000 of the B-17s were lost in combat. The “Sentimental Journey” was originally manufactured and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force for war service in March 1945.

Several other aircraft and booths will be on display throughout the week and weekend. Rides are available in various aircraft including the B-17, and cockpit tours are available when the B-17 is not flying. See schedule and contact information below.

Foodies will also have a reason to visit as local food trucks will offer sweet and savory treats throughout the celebration. See schedule below.

Media are invited to Tri-City Aviation for the arrival of the B-17 at 11 AM on Tuesday, September 8.

AIRCRAFT on DISPLAY & RIDE SCHEDULE:

Rides must be booked through the website link or onsite: 
https://www.azcaf.org/location/bristol-tn-tour-stop/#airbase-flights-section

AIRCRAFT RIDES	TUE.	WED.	THURS.	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
B-17 Flying Fortress Sentimental Journey	2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (GT)	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (GT)	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (GT)	10:00 AM – Noon (F) 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (GT)	10:00 AM – Noon (F) 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (GT)	10:00 AM – Noon (F) 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (GT)

FOOD TRUCK SCHEDULE:

*Schedule and food trucks are subject to change.

FOOD TRUCK	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
Joe Bill’s Kitchen					2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Me and K’s	Noon – 6:00 PM		10:00 AM – 6:00 PM	2:00 PM – 4:00 PM		2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Stop, Drop & Pop	2:00 PM – 6:00 PM	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM	9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Trucky Cheese	11:00 AM – 6:00 PM	11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Additional Aircraft Display & Ride Schedule:

AIRCRAFT	SAT. 9/12/20	SUN. 9/13/20
Flying Service at Tri-Cities	423-279-0865	423-279-0865
Sevier County Choppers	865-453-5867	865-453-5867

Primary Contact:

Pam Phillips
Tri-City Aviation
pphillips@tricityaviation.com
(423) 325-6261

Secondary Contact:
Kristi Haulsee
Tri-Cities Airport Authority
Director of Marketing & Air Service Development
O: 423-325-6032/C: 423-802-4086

Blountville, Tenn. – Tri-Cities Airport, along with mutual aid agencies in and around Sullivan and Washington Counties, held a mock disaster drill at the Airport Wednesday, June 10. The exercise took place at the cargo ramp on the south side of the airfield.

The drill simulated a mock crash of a 76-seat regional jet en route to Tri-Cities Airport. For this exercise, the Airport teams simulated 56 passengers and four crew members, involved in an incident when the left main landing gear failed. The aircraft slide off the runway, rolled and broke into two separate pieces with one section catching on fire. Several people are ejected from the aircraft and injuries range from minor cuts and scrapes to serious trauma with some fatalities. The Air Traffic Control Tower called an Alert 3 and the on-duty Airport public safety officers responded and called for mutual aid support.

The exercise was completed on a smaller scale than in the past to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. A limited number of volunteer victims were given verbal instructions on how they would be treated and were then asked to walk to their assigned area. A number of simulated victims were in place for responders to assess. Responders also worked to extinguish a bus used to simulate an aircraft fire.

Held every three years, this federally-mandated exercise is designed as a training exercise for Airport and airline personnel and mutual aid agencies. Emergency management agencies from Sullivan and Washington Counties, Sullivan County Health Department, fire departments and emergency medical services throughout the Tri-Cities participated in the exercise. A team of evaluators uses several criteria to assess the effectiveness of the exercise, including personnel mobilization, command and control of the incident, communications between agencies, responsiveness of the emergency crews, and following established procedure.

Blountville, Tenn. – Tri-Cities Airport will conduct an Airport emergency exercise Wednesday, June 10, from 10 AM to 12 PM.

Purpose:
This is a federally-mandated exercise designed to promote emergency preparedness, test the Airport’s emergency operation plan, train personnel in emergency management duties and coordinate the efforts of local emergency service agencies responding to an aircraft accident or incident.

Media Assembly Point:
Address: Air Cargo Center off Hamilton Road
100 Cargo Center Dr., Blountville, TN 37617

Parking: Park in front of cargo terminal and walk through gate Z.
No media vehicles will be allowed in exercise area.

PRESS CREDENTIALS MUST BE PRESENTED TO SECURITY AT THE GATE
CHECK IN AND AT THE DESIGNATED MEDIA AREA

Schedule:
Participant assembly time 9:30 AM
Burn bus prepared 9:30 AM
Victims staged 9:45 AM
Exercise begins 10:00 AM

• Due to COVID-19, this exercise has been limited to help prevent its spread. We will have a limited number of volunteer victims who will not be touched and will be given verbal instructions on how they would be treated and will be asked to walk to their assigned area. There will be a number of simulated victims in place for responders to assess. We will also have a bus burning to simulate and aircraft fire. Tri-Cities Airport responders will be working with local mutual aid agencies to distinguish the fire.

Scenario:
At approximately 9:00 AM, a 76-passenger regional jet en route to Tri-Cities Airport crashes upon landing when the left main landing gear fails and the aircraft slides off the runway. The aircraft then rolled, breaking into two separate pieces with one section catching on fire. The Air Traffic Control Tower calls an Alert 3. The on-duty Airport public safety officers respond and call for mutual aid support. Sixty souls were on board, 56 passengers and four crew. Several people are ejected from the aircraft and injuries range from minor cuts and scrapes to serious trauma with some fatalities.

Media Notes:
• Follow CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing face coverings.
• Hand-carried cameras only; media vehicles will not be allowed on the airfield.
• During the exercise, members of the media are asked to refrain from talking to or approaching any of the direct participants.
• Media are requested to stay in the designated media area during the drill. This is for safety purposes. Every effort will be made to provide as much access as possible while maintaining the integrity of the drill.
• If an actual emergency occurs at the Airport, the exercise will be cancelled or placed on hold, depending on the situation.
• The Airport will remain open and operational during the exercise. Daily operations should function as usual.
• This exercise will focus on emergency response and will not simulate how the airline or airport would work with family, friends, and onlookers. In an actual emergency, media would not be allowed inside the accident perimeter.
• Dress accordingly as the drill is conducted outdoors.

Exercise Objectives:
• To exercise and evaluate the Airport’s emergency plan.
• To familiarize mutual aid agencies with Airport facilities, staff and emergency procedures.
• To provide training to Airport employees and local emergency responders in a mass injury and casualty incident.
• To demonstrate the ability to prioritize and use jurisdictional resources and Assets for maximum effectiveness during response operations.
• To demonstrate the capability to conduct rapid situational assessment.

Blountville, Tenn. – The Tri-Cities Airport has discovered the airport website and hundreds of other airport websites across the country, are being partially copied onto airport “guide” websites.

These websites contain false and inaccurate information about the airports and airport services. Many of them also appear to offer hotel booking, shuttle services, car rental and other services not directly associated with the airports. The websites use unauthorized images directly from the airport website to make the guide appear legitimate.

“We urge passengers to be very cautious and to make sure they are on the actual airport website when searching for air travel information,” said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority executive director. “Travelers should also be vigilant and only conduct travel related business through the actual airport website, directly with the airlines, rental car companies, or through reputable third-party vendors.”

Organizations within airport communities have also received emails from these airport guide websites asking for the organization to link to their website.

The official website for the Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is triflight.com. The only third-party vendor on the triflight.com website is airline booking engine, OnPeak. Allegiant is currently the only advertiser on triflight.com.

Blountville, Tenn. – Beginning the week of February 17, Tailwind will begin construction on a new café area and remodeling the restaurant in the Tri-Cities Airport concourse.

The first phase will include constructing a new café area next to gate 4 and is expected to be completed by mid-March. As part of this phase of construction, the concourse flight information display system (FIDS) will be relocated during the week of Feb. 17, and unavailable to passengers. After passing through security clearance, passengers will only be able to access flight schedules through their airline’s app or triflight.com.

The second phase, which is to remodel the restaurant, will begin in mid-March. The updated restaurant area will include a new kitchen, additional seating and better flow for passenger use.

Food service in the concourse will be limited during the construction of the new restaurant. The Tailwind restaurant located in the main terminal will remain open and continue to offer its full menu during construction.

“We are excited that Tailwind will be expanding their services and offerings in the concourse area of the airport,” said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority executive director. “We expect passengers will be pleased with the changes.”

Updates will be provided as construction progresses.

Blountville, TN – American Airlines will begin dual-class service on flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) beginning June 4, 2020. The aircraft will have 65 seats, nine of which will be first-class seating. This replaces the current single-class service aircraft with 44 seats.

Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) passengers have embraced the new service to DFW, leading to the increased aircraft capacity and improved service.

“We are proud to add more seats between Tri-Cities and our largest hub, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport,” said Philippe Puech, Senior Manager of Network Planning at American. “This increased commitment highlights the successful partnership between American Airlines, the Tri-Cities Airport Authority and the Tri-Cities community.”

 “The airport has seen a remarkable increase in passengers throughout the last year,” said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority executive director. “The addition of the DFW flight is a huge contributor to this year’s success. In December, our passenger numbers were up 24 percent with 10 percent growth for 2019.”

TRI finished 2019 with more than 448,000 total passengers visiting the area and accessing the world.

 “We are happy to see that our community and visitors are embracing the new service on American Airlines,” said Gene Cossey, TCAA executive director. “The Dallas-Fort Worth flight, and continuing our work to increase service, are vital to the region’s business and tourism communities.”

“As a business owner with clients all over the world, I need to be able to access the major airports to get to my clients faster,” said Scott Emerine, Branding Iron Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations co-founder and co-owner. “I have several clients in

Dallas. In fact, that is where I am from. I now have the freedom to quickly connect with my customers in Dallas and throughout the West Coast. Flying TRI is fast, efficient, and cost effective. In today’s fast-paced business environment, having the direct flight to DFW really enables me to get business done from the Tri-Cities region. I do not need to relocate. I am just one flight way from anywhere in the world I need to be.”

American Airlines offers nonstop service to Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth from TRI, providing almost 300 one-stop connections. Flights can be booked on the www.triflight.com booking engine or directly with American at www.aa.com.

November 11-15

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be hosting a “Pop-Up” PreCheck Enrollment event at Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), November 11-15.

The temporary enrollment center will be open for interviews Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 AM-Noon and 1-5 PM; and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 AM-1 PM and 2-6 PM. The enrollment center will be located just inside the main entrance of the terminal.

TSA PreCheck is an expedited security screening program that allows passengers to not remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets. According to TSA, 93% of TSA PreCheck-approved passengers waited less than five minutes in September 2019.

“The closest TSA PreCheck enrollment centers to TRI are in Abingdon and Knoxville,” said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority executive director. “We are glad we can help make travel for our passengers more convenient by offering the opportunity to sign up for TSA PreCheck. We are also pleased that TSA is offering TRI passengers full TSA PreCheck as of October 13.”

Individuals interested in TSA PreCheck, should submit an application online and schedule an appointment through www.tsa.gov/precheck. To complete the application process, individuals will need to bring documentation proving identity and citizenship status, such as a valid U.S. passport. The in-person appointment includes fingerprinting for a background check. The application fee for TSA PreCheck is $85 and can be paid by credit card, money order, company check, or certified/cashier’s check. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. TSA PreCheck membership is good for five years.

The “Pop-Up” enrollment center will only be available at the airport during the dates and times listed. Individuals unable to participate in the “Pop-Up” event can still sign up and make appointments at the centers in Abingdon, VA or Knoxville, TN.

Date:

November 11-15

Location:
Tri-Cities Airport inside the main entrance of the terminal (255 Hwy. 75, Blountville, TN 37617)

Additional positions needed for new flights to DFW

Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, is seeking part-time ticket counter and ramp agents at the Tri-Cities Airport. A successful candidate will have good customer service skills, be able to work inside and outside in most weather conditions, and successfully complete training requirements.  As an added benefit to working for Piedmont Airlines, employees and family members enjoy flying for free anywhere within the American Airlines system! If selected, qualified candidates will have the opportunity to move on to orientation. This is your chance to start a new career in aviation or launch your “retirement career.”

Minimum requirements include:

• Valid Drivers License
• Proof of Education*
•  SS Card**

Click here for event information and visit with Piedmont Airlines representatives at the hiring event to learn more about the positions.

Date & Time:
July 31
9:30-11:30 am

Location:
Tri-Cities Airport in the Tailwind Restaurant meeting room – located at the back of the restaurant. (255 Hwy. 75, Blountville, TN 37617)

Blountville, TN. – Officials at Tri-Cities Airport confirm an American Airlines flight diverted to TRI. Details below:

Airline:  American Airlines (AA)
Aircraft Type:  ERJ145
Flight Number:  4890
Origination/Departure Airport:  Charlotte, NC (CLT)
Destination Airport:  Lexington, KY (LEX)

Incident Description: Crew reported smoke in the cockpit. TCAA aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel responded. Sullivan County Fire and EMS crews also responded. The aircraft safely landed at TRI at approximately 10:06 AM with 52 passengers and four crew on board. No injuries reported. Passengers have deplaned into the concourse.

There is no impact to airport operations.

###

Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is a full-service commercial airport serving Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Kentucky. TRI offers non-stop flights to five hubs (Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Orland/Sanford, and St. Pete/Clearwater/Tampa) on Allegiant, American, and Delta. For more information about Tri-Cities Airport, visit triflight.com.

Blountville, TN. –  A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry Enrollment Center will have its grand opening on Wednesday, May 22 at Tri-Cities Airport (TRI).

The Global Entry Enrollment Center will open to help address the growing demand for enrollment appointments. The Center is new to our region as the next closest centers are in Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN.

“CBP is looking forward to bringing the Global Entry Enrollment Center to the Tri-Cities Airport,” said Memphis Acting Port Director Virginia Croll. “The Global Entry Enrollment Center is a program that provides travelers the opportunity to register and obtain the benefits of expedited clearance and CBP is an active proponent of expediting trade and travel. Make your appointments soon because they fill up early!”

“The Global Entry Enrollment Center at Tri-Cities Airport will provide easy access for individuals within the Tri-Cities region and beyond.” said Gene Cossey, Tri-Cities Airport Authority Executive Director. “It is a three or five-hour drive to the next closest center with an available appointment. We expect to see visitors from outside the Tri-Cities region coming here for their interviews as most Enrollment Centers’ schedules are booked for several months.”

The Global Entry Enrollment Center at TRI will initially be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM to assess the number of applicants for CBP Trusted Traveler Program applicants. Applicants must have applied online for Global Entry, and have had their applications conditionally approved. Conditionally-approved applicants may schedule or change their currently scheduled interview for the TRI Enrollment Center using the Global Entry website. CBP will actively manage hours of operations based on the number of applicants and operational needs throughout the calendar year.

The Global Entry Program provides expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk international travelers. Members of these programs can expect expedited processing when entering the United States using automated kiosks at participating airports. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are eligible to participate in TSA Pre✓™, the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited security program.

Travelers interested in enrolling in Global Entry can visit CBP’s Global Entry website for more information.

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Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is a full-service commercial airport serving Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Kentucky. TRI offers non-stop flights to five hubs (Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas Fort Worth (beginning 9/4/19), Orland/Sanford, and St. Pete/Clearwater/Tampa) on Allegiant, American, and Delta. For more information about Tri-Cities Airport, visit triflight.com.