Your Meeting Planner Guide to Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is having a moment, with more flights, more momentum, and a terminal upgrade that’s already changing the experience.
Flying in to Asheville is refreshingly straightforward: quick curb-to-check-in, a right-sized airport layout, and a route network that makes it easy to bring meeting attendees in from major cities (and connect through hubs when you need to).
In 2025, AVL welcomed 2.24 million passengers, marking the second-busiest year in airport history. Looking ahead through 2026, AVL is building on that ease with growing service to key markets and a major terminal transformation already underway, offering more space, better flow, and an experience that feels even more welcoming from the moment your attendees land.
Airport Fast Facts
- Nonstop access: Five airlines provide nonstop service to 26 destinations.
- TSA PreCheck: Available at AVL.
- AVL Forward progress: New ticket counter lobby opened June 11, 2025; new North Concourse and temporary TSA checkpoint opened June 25, 2025.
What’s New for 2026: AVL Forward Expansion
AVL is in the middle of its largest infrastructure investment to date: AVL Forward, a terminal project designed around more space, smoother flow, and a stronger sense of place. The project broke ground in August 2023 and is projected to wrap within 4.5 years.
What planners can share with attendees:
- A bigger, brighter airport experience is already here. The newest spaces deliver more room to spread out, better sightlines, and a more modern arrival and departure experience.
A two-concourse future: The long-range terminal plan includes two concourses with 12 total gates (five south, seven north), each with dedicated boarding bridges.
- Construction is active, and some boarding may be outdoors. Ground boarding is temporary during construction, and the end-state is jet bridges at all gates.
- Design details that feel like the Blue Ridge: Plans call for river-inspired flooring patterns, waterfall-influenced ceilings, and a living wall in the new baggage claim.
More Ways to Get Here, Faster
AVL’s nonstop network gives meeting and conference attendees solid access from key markets, and strong hub connections for everyone else.
AVL is served by Allegiant, American, Delta, Sun Country, and United, with nonstop service to 26 destinations.
Here’s a snapshot of core service planners use most often (frequency varies by day and season):
- American: Charlotte (CLT) 6–7x daily; Washington, D.C. (DCA) 1–2x daily; Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) 1–2x daily; Chicago (ORD) 1–3x daily; Philadelphia (PHL) 1–2x daily
- Delta: Atlanta (ATL) 5–8x daily; New York (LGA) 1–2x daily
- United: Newark (EWR) 1–2x daily; Chicago (ORD) 2–4x daily
- Allegiant: Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 2–3x daily; St. Pete–Clearwater (PIE) 1–2x daily; Orlando/Sanford (SFB) 1–2x daily
If your attendees are coming in from a mix of markets, the hub options (ATL, CLT, DFW, ORD, EWR, DCA, PHL) do a lot of heavy lifting.
From Plane to Hotel, With Options
Once attendees land, getting where they need to go is simple. AVL offers the full menu: rental cars on-site, taxis and ride apps, car services and shuttles, and hotel transportation for groups.
- Rental cars (on-site): Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National/Alamo, Dollar/Thrifty, plus peer-to-peer rentals.
- Public transit: Asheville ART (South 3 Route to downtown) and Apple Country Transit (Hendersonville area).
- Group and executive transfers: AVL maintains a directory of ground transportation providers (shuttles, car services, limo options), which is helpful for sourcing coaches and private transfers.
- Pickup clarity: Ride apps and taxis use designated areas, including an accessible pickup area.
Little Details Planners Appreciate
The best airport experiences are the ones attendees barely have to think about. AVL checks the boxes that make travel days smoother:
Easy comfort + practicality
- Free Wi-Fi, charging stations, water bottle filling stations, pet relief areas (pre- and post-security).
- Mother’s Room (lactation suite) and family restroom.
- Guest Services in baggage claim can help with ground transportation arrangements, directions, flight info, and more.
A stronger sense of place
- Art Gallery and rotating exhibits (post-security), plus local-forward retail and grab-and-go options.
- A light-filled concourse experience with floor-to-ceiling windows and seating designed for plug-in productivity.
Need Help Pulling It All Together?
From attendee transportation planning to venue coordination and local know-how, the Explore Asheville team can help streamline the details, so your group’s first impression is easy, welcoming, and unmistakably Asheville.
Airport Fast Facts
Explore the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) with these fast facts – from nonstop flights to major cities to its easy access to downtown Asheville, AVL makes your journey smooth and efficient.
AVL is located just 12 miles from downtown Asheville.
Travel from AVL to the heart of it all in less than 20 minutes.
AVL offers daily nonstop flights to and from over 20 destinations, including numerous international hubs.
AVL is served by five airlines: Allegiant, American, Delta, Sun Country and United.
More on Asheville Access & Planning Services
Attendees can also get to Asheville easily by car, thanks to its convenient location at the crossroads of two major interstates: I-26 and I-40. Asheville is within a day’s drive of 50% of the United States’s population.
Need more information on transportation or other logistics? The Explore Asheville team has the insider knowledge to simplify your planning process. See how meeting planners benefit from partnering with Explore Asheville.
