McKinney National Airport in Texas has opened its new commercial passenger terminal, with an Avelo Airlines flight to Fort Myers, Florida, departing at 9am local time on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
The departure marked the start of scheduled airline service at McKinney, around 30 miles north of Dallas. Avelo confirmed that the inaugural flight took off on Veterans Day, making the airport another option for North Texas passengers alongside Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field.
McKinney was already an operating airport used by private and business aviation. The milestone is its move into scheduled commercial passenger flights, not the opening of an entirely new airport.
Eleven nonstop routes planned by December
Avelo is the airport’s first commercial passenger airline. Its opening service is to Fort Myers, with further routes being introduced in stages rather than all beginning on the first day.
- 11 November: Fort Myers, Florida.
- 12 November: Las Vegas, Nevada, and Orlando, Florida.
- 19 November: Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Florida.
- 16 December: Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida.
- 17 December: Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
That would take the network to 11 nonstop destinations by mid-December, subject to the airline’s published schedule. Avelo says it will base three Boeing 737 aircraft at McKinney and expects the operation to support more than 150 local jobs.
What the new terminal offers
The roughly 46,000-square-foot terminal has four passenger gates and space to expand to six. Facilities include free Wi-Fi, seat-side charging, a nursing parents’ room and a pet relief area. The airport also has a car park with approximately 980 spaces directly outside the terminal.
Travellers will see the new DTX airport code on commercial airline bookings and baggage labels. The airport has previously been known to general aviation users by the code TKI.
The smaller terminal is intended to provide a more convenient alternative for residents of Collin County and surrounding communities. The extent to which it attracts passengers from the two established Dallas-area airports will depend on routes, fares and demand.
Aircraft noise concerns in neighbouring Fairview
Not everyone has welcomed the expansion. Residents in neighbouring Fairview have raised concerns that more scheduled jet services could increase aircraft noise over homes already affected by airport traffic.
On 3 November, Fairview Town Council approved a resolution asking McKinney for a noise-mitigation plan within 30 days and for an application for a Federal Aviation Administration Part 150 noise study. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that an independent study recorded day-night average noise above a 55-decibel environmental guideline at four of six monitoring sites. Those measurements were taken before the new scheduled service began and do not establish its future effect.
Fairview Mayor John Hubbard said the town was seeking solutions with McKinney rather than trying to stop commercial flights. McKinney told NBC 5 it remained committed to complying with applicable regulations and operating the airport responsibly.
Watch: FOX 4 reports from McKinney
FOX 4’s Dan Godwin reported from the airport as the first passenger service was preparing to launch.
