These are the sorts of places where you don’t go for the space alone — you go there because they have something you need. Because they serve a necessary purpose. You go there because you have to. But even as you’re mailing a package or picking up milk — or getting ready to fly off on vacation — it sure does make the experience more enjoyable if the space itself is comfortable, convenient and cool-looking.
CHA-CHA-CHA
Our little airport is making big strides 
Staff photo by Abby White / The outside of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
If you’re coming or going from Chattanooga, there are only so many ways to do so — drive, fly, swim, hitch a ride on the back of a donkey, paddle a gondola… Since most people opt for one of the first two options, that makes Chattanooga’s airport one of the major gateways in and out of town.
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport — dubbed CHA by the official International Airport Transport Association (IATA) code system — is approximately 170,000 square feet of terminal space on around 800 acres, according to Jack McAfee, the airport’s vice president of operations.
Flying Past
The airport was built in approximately 1929 as Lovell Field, opening to the public on July 3, 1930. In 1964, the modern terminal was constructed in the style of JFK Airport in New York City — complete with large, flaring arches and a long, narrow extension for the gates, McAfee says.
In 1990, they built a new concourse, revamped the baggage claim area and added the central rotunda that gives the airport its current wow factor. The high, domed ceilings and open space were modeled after the train depots of the 1900s and inspired by Chattanooga’s own train to fame, the Choo Choo. “With Chattanooga being a big train town, that’s kind of what the designers had in mind,” McAfee says. 
Staff photo by Abby White / Passengers wait near baggage claim for their luggage at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.
The year 2014 brought the airport a $7.2 million makeover, and finally, in 2024, it received a $28 million expansion and renovation, adding another concourse with more natural light, a brand-new restaurant, a larger gift shop moved inside security — which, McAfee says, has helped to triple sales in the store — and various other bells, whistles and amenities.
“We have extremely nice facilities, and we’re continuously upgrading them,” he says.
Flight of Fancy
Today’s airport has two floors, two baggage claim carousels and two restaurants — one of which is 2,570 square feet and seats up to 94 hungry passengers. It’s intended to be upscale, with cuisine designed for the local palate by a special chef brought in to create the menu, McAfee says.
Outside security, there’s a café so you can get a salted caramel mocha and a turkey bacon wrap while you wait for Uncle Bob’s delayed flight to finally arrive. Local artwork and photography decorate the ticketing area. 
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ The rotunda of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
The Fur Will Fly
Inside security — which almost never takes more than 10-20 minutes to get through, even if you do have to take your shoes off — there’s a mother’s nursing room, a designated working area, a family lounge and eight departure and arrival gates, all catering to people on the go.
And speaking of going, the airport now has multiple sets of restrooms, including one especially for travelers of the canine persuasion. McAfee says the “doggie restroom” even comes equipped with a fire hydrant, along with fake grass that can be easily hosed down at the end of the day following any pup passengers needing a reprieve after a long flight.
Project Runway 
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Allegiant Air’s Airbus A320 taxis down the runway between two water cannons at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Allegiant launched its inaugural flight to Punta Gorda, Fla. from the Chattanooga airport in February.
On the airport “grounds,” there’s space for up to 29 different aircraft hangars, with 20 currently in existence. These hangars house corporate and private planes and jets, since plenty of non-commercial planes also regularly make use of the Chattanooga runway — accounting for 84,422 flights in 2024. In one corner of the airfield, 9,376 solar panels produce 2.73 megawatts of power.
The airport offers ample parking space, including a garage and one short-term and two long-term lots, where you can even plug in your Tesla while you wait for your luggage to show up on the belt. “You park anywhere, and you’re no more than a five-minute walk” to the terminal, McAfee says.
Something’s in the Air
For an airport this size, there’s a lot happening there. Some 1.1 million people passed in and out of the airport in 2024 alone, helping it to earn its ranking as the 133rd busiest airport of the 503 commercial airports in the country. Each of its four different airlines (Delta, American, United and Allegiant) run about 50 flights a day, so a commercial plane touches down close to every 20 minutes, McAfee says. That doesn’t include the large Atlanta-bound 757s that end up being diverted to Chattanooga in the case of bad weather.
The facility’s many aircraft moved 19,513,496 pounds of cargo last year, which is 9/10 the weight of the Eiffel Tower. And while no flights out of CHA are heading straight to Paris, the airlines do offer direct flights to 11 different destinations, including New York City, Vegas, Orlando and Washington, D.C. 
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Planes at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
Plane and Simple
But none of this would be possible without the excellent customer service that’s top priority for the Chattanooga Airport to provide.
“Everyone talks about how easy it is to fly out of here, and that’s really what we’re catering to. Our goal is to provide the most convenient, secure and best way to travel outside Chattanooga,” says McAfee. “You’re not going to get that same level of service at any other airport.”
For more information, go to flycha.com. 
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Passengers board the Allegiant Air Airbus A320 at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in February to celebrate Allegiant Air’s launch of its new direct route to Punta Gorda, Fla. from Chattanooga.