Groups flying on a private jet into TYS often book charters for the ground side too.
At McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), “Charters” usually means pre-booked ground transportation tied to private or on-demand flights, not a taxi rank. Signature Aviation TYS handles private and general aviation on the south side of the field and coordinates with third-party cars, vans, and buses for many of those arrivals. If you’re coming in on a chartered aircraft or with a corporate flight department, ask your operator to line up ground transport before wheels-up.
The Main Terminal address is 2055 Alcoa Highway, while Signature Aviation sits separately on the general aviation side of the airport. Charters can be set to meet you either at the public arrivals curb at the Main Terminal or directly on the ramp at the FBO, depending on security clearance and what your flight operator allows. Some operators will add the ground transfer to your aircraft invoice, others pass you a direct contact for the car company.
For crews and groups, charters at TYS range from sedans up to minibuses that can handle 20–30 people, with pricing often by the hour rather than per mile. It’s common to see minimums of 2–3 billable hours even if you only need 45 minutes of drive time. Build that into your duty-day planning so you’re not haggling curbside about overtime when a turn runs long.
If you’re landing at Signature Aviation TYS, their front desk number on the website is the first call to ask who they see on the ramp most often for charter ground transport. They routinely coordinate fueling, towing, and passenger handling for jet aircraft, so adding a car or van pickup to your handling request is normal. Give them your tail number, ETA, and passenger headcount so they can sync arrival times.
Commercial passengers landing at the Main Terminal can still use charters instead of taxis or app rides, but they must arrange them in advance with a set pickup time. Many Knoxville-area operators ask for flight number, airline, and scheduled arrival time from TYS to track delays. Tip: schedule your pickup for 30 minutes after scheduled arrival for checked bags, or 15 minutes if you’re carry-on only.
One simple move: lock in both your inbound and outbound charter legs in the same email or call, with dates, local times, and the exact number of passengers, so you’re not trying to book ground transport from the tarmac at TYS on short notice.