McKinney National Airport to Launch Commercial Service Nov. 11 With Avelo Airlines Flight to Fort Myers
Why It MattersA certified general aviation airport converting to commercial service adds a third Dallas-Fort Worth option, showing how business-aviation fields can open to scheduled low-cost carriers and broaden regional capacity.
Commercial service at McKinney National Airport will begin Nov. 11 with an Avelo Airlines flight to Fort Myers, Florida, one of five destinations the airline will serve from the airport this fall. In December, Avelo will add six more flights to destinations in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana. McKinney will become the third airport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with commercial flights, joining Dallas Love Field and Dallas Fort Worth International.
The routes were announced in September, when the Federal Aviation Administration issued the airport operating certificate required for commercial service. Ignacio Flores, director of the FAA's Southwest Region Airports division, called it a rare milestone for a general aviation airport to convert to a fully certified commercial service airport, noting the last such certificate issued in Texas was more than 20 years ago. Airport Director Ken Carley said the certification confirms compliance with all FAA regulations for scheduled passenger service. The International Air Transport Association will identify the airport as DTX for commercial service, while TKI remains its FAA identifier for general operations.
City leaders broke ground on the 46,000-square-foot terminal in 2025, after voters had earlier denied a $200 million bond measure. The $79 million project is instead funded through local city funds and grants. A 2025 environmental assessment found that noise levels requiring mitigation are expected to remain within airport property. The terminal, at 1910 FM 546, will offer Enterprise Rent-A-Car service and a concession stand run by Creative Hospitality Solutions, and the Transportation Security Administration is finishing its screening area. Its three south-side entrances face a 980-space parking lot that can expand to 1,450 spaces, with parking at $15 per day. Furniture and ticketing counters are installed, and Carley said the terminal was days from a temporary certificate of occupancy.
McKinney's fiscal year 2026-27 budget projects about $3 million in revenue from the terminal in its first year, from airline, concession, rental car and parking fees. The airport fund projects about $19.7 million in revenue and $20.8 million in expenses. City officials aim to make the airport self-sustaining within five years of commercial operation. Avelo expects to serve 260,000 passengers in its first year and 900,000 annually by the third year. The terminal can expand from four to six gates, and the City Council has authorized Kimley-Horn to update the airport's master plan.
