Nashville International Airport Development thread

[smeagolsfree]

Exclusive: Nashville airport runway expansion plans blocked by FAA, putting Asia flights on hold

Exclusive: Nashville-to-Asia flights on hold due to FAA runway denial (tennessean.com)

 

Here is the key statement:

 

FAA Memphis Airport District Officer Manager Tommy Dupree reviewed the airport's presentation in 2021 and rejected the plan.

 

 

I think that the city of Memphis is afraid that the airport there is going to suffer even worse from BNA flight to Asia as it would take further passengers from there. He was pressured but there is no way to prove this.

[Rick Dalton]

Why does Memphis have any jurisdiction? I promise no one in Asia is flying to Memphis lol

[dmillsphoto]

How does the FAA deny a runway extension? I understand they do the regulations around patterns, the regulations, etc, but as long as the runway meets FAA spec, then under what authority do they say what an airport can and can't do? We need Lexy

[Luvemtall]

This would be a devastating blow to future expansion, again coming from a source that only has the interest in sticking it to Nashville! Sounds familiar.

[Rick Dalton]

Classic Memphis. Constant corruption.

[smeagolsfree]

6 minutes ago, Rick Dalton said:

Classic Memphis. Constant corruption.

This is speculation on my part. No proof. The Memphis airport number are 4.36 million passengers last year but up from the 2 million in 2020 but way down from the high in 2007 of 11.26 million. They have flights to India, Asia and Europe including carriers of Air Japan, Air France, Korean Air & Emirates, not to mention United and Delta that fly international out of Memphis. So, there is a lot to protect. 

If Nashville got international flights, I would say the international out of Memphis would greatly reduce or disappear altogether. I think most of those carriers would be flying onto Nashville instead.

[BnaBreaker]

Surely this wouldn't stand... would it?  I mean, Nashville getting these international flights would only help Memphis tourism too...  

[Bos2Nash]

I wonder what connecting the two cities with a mode of transportation other than car or plane would do to this approach? Having a relatively frequent connection that could move people from one hub to the other in say 90 minutes?

[Nothingspectacular]

The only thing happening at MEM is FedEx, and even FedEx is having trouble and even parking some planes.  Memphis DOES NOT have any scheduled service by Emirates, Japan Airlines, Air France or Korean Air.  It’s only cargo airlines like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. 
 

Passenger traffic is very small with only about 75 flights per day on all the airlines serving Memphis.  Memphis lacks nonstop flights to many major US cities, especially the west coast.  MEM renovated a concourse last year , but closed two others due to its shrinking size. The city’s poor air service is another reason growth, economic development and tourism is so weak in Memphis.   

Edited August 31, 2023 by Nothingspectacular

[Rick Dalton]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

This is speculation on my part. No proof. The Memphis airport number are 4.36 million passengers last year but up from the 2 million in 2020 but way down from the high in 2007 of 11.26 million. They have flights to India, Asia and Europe including carriers of Air Japan, Air France, Korean Air & Emirates, not to mention United and Delta that fly international out of Memphis. So, there is a lot to protect. 

If Nashville got international flights, I would say the international out of Memphis would greatly reduce or disappear altogether. I think most of those carriers would be flying onto Nashville instead.

Wow I honestly had no idea that was such a big airport. 11 million??

[markhollin]

4 minutes ago, Rick Dalton said:

Wow I honestly had no idea that was such a big airport. 11 million??

Back when Northwest Airlines was a signifcant player, Memphis was one of their hubs.

[NashRugger]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

This is speculation on my part. No proof. The Memphis airport number are 4.36 million passengers last year but up from the 2 million in 2020 but way down from the high in 2007 of 11.26 million. They have flights to India, Asia and Europe including carriers of Air Japan, Air France, Korean Air & Emirates, not to mention United and Delta that fly international out of Memphis. So, there is a lot to protect. 

If Nashville got international flights, I would say the international out of Memphis would greatly reduce or disappear altogether. I think most of those carriers would be flying onto Nashville instead.

I have no idea where you're getting your information, but there are ZERO passenger flights that are international out of MEM.  The only international service from MEM is because of FedEx and other cargo operations. 

MEM hasn't had international passenger flights since it was de-hubbed and Delta dropped the final to Amsterdam in the early 2010s. 

[Nothingspectacular]

3 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

This is speculation on my part. No proof. The Memphis airport number are 4.36 million passengers last year but up from the 2 million in 2020 but way down from the high in 2007 of 11.26 million. They have flights to India, Asia and Europe including carriers of Air Japan, Air France, Korean Air & Emirates, not to mention United and Delta that fly international out of Memphis. So, there is a lot to protect. 

If Nashville got international flights, I would say the international out of Memphis would greatly reduce or disappear altogether. I think most of those carriers would be flying onto Nashville instead.

INCORRECT.  Memphis does not have any international passenger flights, not even to Canada.  Japan Airlines (not Air Japan), Air France, Korean Air and Emirates DO NOT serve Memphis. The only international flights from MEM are cargo only on FedEx and you have to be in a box to fly. 

[smeagolsfree]

I think the airlines were connecting. It was hard to find info on the fly for Memphis until I did about 5 searches and finally found info. It seems as if Iflymemphis is about the 1oth item to come up. 

[jmtunafish]

2 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I think the airlines were connecting. It was hard to find info on the fly for Memphis until I did about 5 searches and finally found info. It seems as if Iflymemphis is about the 1oth item to come up. 

I think you mean they were codeshare.  Any Air France or Korean Air flights would be on Delta aircraft, for example.  There are zero international passenger flights out of MEM.  FedEx, however, is another story with its cargo flights:  Bogotá, Calgary, Cologne, Dubai, Edmonton, Guadalajara, Liège, London, Mexico City, Monterrey, Montréal, Ottawa, Panama City, Paris, Querétaro, Quito, San Jose (CR), Seoul, Tijuana, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

[SoundScan]

4 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I think the airlines were connecting. It was hard to find info on the fly for Memphis until I did about 5 searches and finally found info. It seems as if Iflymemphis is about the 1oth item to come up. 

https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-memphis-mem

They currently don't have any international passenger routes. They have a Calgary route beginning in October.

[BnaBreaker]

26 minutes ago, SoundScan said:

https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-memphis-mem

They currently don't have any international passenger routes. They have a Calgary route beginning in October.

Surprised there isn't at least a Toronto route.  

[smeagolsfree]

12 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

I think you mean they were codeshare.  Any Air France or Korean Air flights would be on Delta aircraft, for example.  There are zero international passenger flights out of MEM.  FedEx, however, is another story with its cargo flights:  Bogotá, Calgary, Cologne, Dubai, Edmonton, Guadalajara, Liège, London, Mexico City, Monterrey, Montréal, Ottawa, Panama City, Paris, Querétaro, Quito, San Jose (CR), Seoul, Tijuana, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

I think when I first looked that is what I found. Sorry for the confusion.

[dmillsphoto]

So, the REAL key statement from FAA dude in Memphis is

Quote

"The Runway 2L-20R Justification Study did not provide data or rationale to support a major runway extension. The document did not show a demand that required a major extension.”

https://simpleflying.com/why-the-faa-wont-let-nashville-airport-extend-its-runway/

Which, uh, isn't any more comforting and might actually be more disconcerting.

[MLBrumby]

Just curious why the local media, especially the business pubs haven't picked up this story. 

[Rick Dalton]

Rejection was from 2021

[MLBrumby]

From the online Tennessean (paywall) https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2023/08/31/monells-at-the-manor-genesco-threatened-by-nashville-airport-runway-extension/70723045007/ 

Nashville's Monell's at the Manor, Genesco could be torn down for airport runway expansion

...  The Federal Aviation Administration has blocked the airport's effort to extend the north-south runway, saving Monell's for the time being. 

...  The mansion that houses Monell's was bought by the airport in 1940 and has leased three consecutive proprietors for various restaurant operations over the years. Monell's opened at the location in 2011.

... The mansion sits in the airport’s future building restriction line and must be removed to allow for standard airfield design criteria associated with Taxiway A, the relocated perimeter vehicle service road and a security fence, according to documents provided by the airport.

... In previous years, King said airport leadership has discussed transferring the mansion's ownership to Monell's and moving the building. But where the building would go has remained a mystery.

[Luvemtall]

It’s the Tennessean, all that needs to be said! 
 

 

the fact that the story kept referring to it as Tennessee International Airport is enough to make you think they can’t get facts straight 

[Nathan_in_DC]

17 hours ago, dmillsphoto said:

So, the REAL key statement from FAA dude in Memphis is

https://simpleflying.com/why-the-faa-wont-let-nashville-airport-extend-its-runway/

Which, uh, isn't any more comforting and might actually be more disconcerting.

I would take all of this with a grain of salt. SimpleFlying isn't much more than a clickbait generator. They purport to be an aviation news site, but they are CONSTANTLY making errors in reporting or latching onto non-stories. Like dmills said, this is a statement from *2021* but they're treating it as new. It sounds like the Tennesseean just noticed their article and reworded it (poorly). I wouldn't be surprised if this was completely obsolete news by now 2021 was a very different year for the aviation industry than 2023.

[Sean blackdog]

Today this evening. 
 

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