Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport could become McGhee Tyson International Airport.
An international gate study for the airport was approved by the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners Wednesday afternoon.
The board will fund the $122,000 worth of research.
Board President Bill Marrison said consultants will look at both what structural changes would have to be made to the airport and how much it would cost to operate and staff the service.
"We will begin that process, and it's very preliminary steps, but we begin that process of looking at the possibility of providing international service here at McGhee Tyson Airport. Because we've been contacted by airlines previously, we think that if we had international facilities today it would make us more attractive to some of the low cost carriers as well as other carriers that would be looking at our market," Marrison said.
According to the airport, Cancun is the international spot Knoxvillians travel to the most.