Average airfares at Knoxville's McGhee-Tyson Airport fell more than 14 percent from 2012 to 2013, according to a report compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The report found the average price for a domestic round-trip flight from Knoxville fell nearly $70 from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2013. The average ticket cost about $402 last year, representing a 28 percent drop from 2000.
The drop in average prices from 2012 to 2013 was the second-biggest decline measured among the nation's 100 busiest airports. Still, prices for domestic flights out of McGhee-Tyson are a little steep for an airport its size. McGhee-Tyson's passenger departures ranked 83rd out of 100, but the airport came in 36th in price.
"We're still higher than we'd like to be," in terms of pricing, McGhee-Tyson executive Jim Evans told WATE television on Thursday.
McGhee-Tyson's airfares came in near the middle of the pack when compared to Tennessee's other major airports. Memphis International Airport ranked 14th, with a $434 average for a domestic round trip flight. Flying out of Nashville is cheaper than either Memphis or Knoxville, with an average of $364. That's also $17 cheaper than the national average.