KONE To Replace Tennessee Airport’s Escalators

McGhee Tyson Airport in Blount County, Tennessee, just south of Knoxville, awarded a US$1.1 million contract to KONE to replace its two main downward and upward escalators, outlets including the Knoxville News Sentinel reported on February 25. Dating to the year 2000, the units have exceeded their operational life. The airport had originally budgeted US$2.2 million for the project, but the cost came in lower as KONE will be using its EcoMod^TM escalator modernization solution that doesn’t require surrounding infrastructure to be completely dismantled. The airport served a record 3.3 million passengers in 2024. Work on the downward escalator is set to begin in late summer, with the upward unit replaced in early 2026.