On Wednesday, November 11, 2026, North Texas gets a brand-new way to fly. McKinney National Airport flights begin that morning, when Avelo Airlines sends its first scheduled departure — a flight to Fort Myers, Florida — out of a newly built four-gate passenger terminal about 30 miles north of Dallas. It's a first for McKinney National Airport (DTX), an airfield that has served general aviation for years but has never handled scheduled commercial passengers.
At a Glance
| Airport | McKinney National Airport |
| IATA code | DTX |
| City | McKinney, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Terminals | 1 new passenger terminal, 4 gates |
| Opening date | November 11, 2026 |
| Launch airline | Avelo Airlines |
| Map | 📍 Map |
What Opens on November 11 — and Why It Matters for North Texas
November 11 isn't just a ribbon-cutting. It's the day McKinney National Airport starts doing something it has never done before: moving scheduled airline passengers. The new terminal opens, Avelo Airlines begins service, and a facility long known for private aircraft joins the commercial map. D Magazine reported on November 6 that the airport is ready, with the terminal, parking, and ground facilities in place.
The road here was not a straight one. In May 2023, McKinney voters rejected a $200 million bond proposal for a much larger terminal. The plan that went ahead instead is smaller: a four-gate terminal designed to accommodate more than 2 million passengers a year. Big enough to grow into, but sized for the market it serves today. About three and a half years after that vote, the doors are opening.
Behind the scenes, the airport cleared a major hurdle in September 2026, when it received an FAA Part 139 airport operating certificate — the federal sign-off an airport needs to handle scheduled airline service. McKinney is the first Texas airport to receive a new commercial airport operating certificate since 2005. This kind of opening doesn't happen often in Texas.
Why does it matter? Because North Texas keeps growing north. Collin County — McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Allen — has added residents at a pace that has outrun its airport options. Until now, anyone in that part of the metroplex has had to drive south, into the traffic around Dallas Fort Worth International or Dallas Love Field. A commercial airport in McKinney flips that trip around.
McKinney National Airport Flights: Launch Routes and Dates
The launch schedule starts small and builds fast. Avelo Airlines, the Houston-based ultra-low-cost carrier, is the launch airline. Its first scheduled departure leaves McKinney for Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday, November 11 — opening day. One day later, on November 12, flights to Las Vegas and Orlando begin. Tampa and Fort Lauderdale join on November 19. Within eight days, McKinney will have nonstop flights to five destinations.
Look at that first list and a pattern jumps out: Florida, Florida, Florida, Florida — and Las Vegas. Four of the first five destinations are in Florida, which tells you who Avelo thinks will fill these planes. Sun-seekers heading to the Gulf Coast and central Florida, plus weekend traffic to Vegas. It's a leisure-first route map, and for a brand-new airport, that makes sense.
Then comes the second wave. By mid-December, Avelo plans to grow the McKinney network to 11 total nonstop destinations, adding Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, New Orleans, Sarasota/Bradenton, and West Palm Beach. That rounds out the map in a hurry: a major hub city in Atlanta, a mountain-west gateway in Denver, two food-and-music cities in Nashville and New Orleans, and two more Florida points.
Avelo is backing the operation with real metal and real jobs. The airline plans to base three Boeing 737 aircraft at McKinney and hire approximately 150 people — pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance staff. When planes overnight at an airport, early-morning departures become possible and schedules get more reliable. Three based 737s on day one is a genuine commitment, not a toe in the water.
Inside the New Terminal: Four Gates, Parking, and Getting There
Four gates sounds small. In a way, that's the point. The new terminal is built for a different kind of airport experience than the one most travelers know from giant hubs. Four gates means short walks, a single security checkpoint, and no sprinting between concourses. The building is designed to accommodate more than 2 million passengers a year, so there's room to grow — but on opening day, it should feel closer to a small regional airport than to a mega-terminal.
Parking is where the airport has clearly thought about first impressions. The new facility includes a 980-space, single-level parking lot — one level, so no hunting for your car across a garage deck — with EV charging stations and license-plate-recognition mobile payment systems. No paper ticket to lose, no fumbling at an exit gate; you pay from your phone and drive out.
Getting to and from the terminal is covered, too. The airport has on-site rental car operations, so travelers who need a car can pick one up without a shuttle ride to an off-site lot. There are also dedicated ride-share facilities, which means Uber and Lyft pickups and drop-offs have their own designated area rather than competing with every other car at the curb.
McKinney vs. Dallas Fort Worth and Dallas Love Field
How does McKinney stack up against the two airports North Texas travelers already know? Dallas Fort Worth International is one of the largest airports in the country, a global hub with hundreds of destinations. Dallas Love Field is smaller and closer to downtown Dallas, and it's the home base for Southwest Airlines. Neither one is going anywhere. McKinney isn't trying to replace them — not with four gates and one airline.
What McKinney offers instead is a different trade. DFW and Love Field give you frequency, connections, and choice. McKinney gives you proximity and simplicity — if you live north of Dallas, and if one of Avelo's nonstop routes goes where you're headed. A nonstop flight from a small airport beats a connecting flight from a big one, most days of the week.
The catch is the network. Right now, McKinney's destinations are all domestic leisure routes, all on one airline. If you're flying for business to Chicago, connecting onward to Europe, or you need a flight that leaves at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday, DFW or Love Field is still your airport. McKinney is for the trips it serves — and for those trips, it's a real alternative.
Who Should Fly From McKinney
The most obvious answer is anyone who lives in Collin County. McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Allen, and the surrounding towns sit right on top of this airport. A shorter drive means an earlier arrival without an earlier alarm, and a smaller terminal means less time standing in lines. If your trip lines up with one of Avelo's routes, the convenience alone is worth a look.
Florida travelers are the other clear audience. With Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota/Bradenton, and West Palm Beach all on the map by mid-December, McKinney is shaping up as a Florida gateway for North Texas. Winter trips to the Gulf Coast, spring break in Orlando, a long weekend in Fort Lauderdale — these are the trips Avelo is built for.
Then there's the price-conscious traveler. Avelo is an ultra-low-cost carrier, which means base fares are designed to be low and extras are priced separately. That model suits travelers who pack light, don't mind skipping seat selection, and would rather spend their money at the destination than on the flight.
What to Know Before You Book
First, remember that Avelo is an ultra-low-cost carrier, so check the baggage and seat fees on the airline's website before you book — the base fare is only part of the total cost. Carry-on rules, checked-bag fees, and seat selection all work differently at ultra-low-cost airlines than at full-service carriers, and a five-minute check beats a surprise at the gate.
Second, double-check the start date of your route. Not every destination begins on November 11. Fort Myers starts on opening day, Las Vegas and Orlando start November 12, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale start November 19, and the December additions — Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, New Orleans, Sarasota/Bradenton, and West Palm Beach — arrive by mid-December. Confirm the date on your specific route before you pay.
Third, arrive early — earlier than you think you need to. A brand-new terminal is a wonderful thing, but it's also a brand-new operation. Staff are settling in, systems are being tested under real passenger loads for the first time, and the first weeks of any airport opening come with hiccups. Give yourself a generous buffer, especially on the first flights. If you're flying in the first month, check your flight status the day before and the morning of travel.
What Comes Next: The December Expansion
The real test of McKinney's opening isn't November 11 — it's mid-December, when the network jumps from five destinations to eleven. That's when Avelo's three based Boeing 737s will be working hardest, when the roughly 150 new jobs at the station will be fully staffed, and when the terminal's design capacity of more than 2 million passengers a year starts to look less like a planning number and more like a target.
If the December expansion fills its seats, expect the conversation to shift quickly from "will it work?" to "what's next?" A four-gate terminal with room for 2 million annual passengers has space to grow, and an airline with three based aircraft has a base worth building on. But that's a story for the months ahead. For now, the milestone that matters is the one happening on Wednesday: a new airport, a new airline, and the first scheduled passenger flights McKinney has ever seen.
Frequently asked questions
When do McKinney National Airport flights start?
McKinney National Airport flights start on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The first scheduled departure is an Avelo Airlines flight to Fort Myers, Florida. Las Vegas and Orlando begin November 12, followed by Tampa and Fort Lauderdale on November 19.
Which airline flies from McKinney National Airport?
Avelo Airlines is the launch airline at McKinney National Airport. The Houston-based ultra-low-cost carrier plans to base three Boeing 737 aircraft at McKinney and hire approximately 150 people — pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance staff.
Where can I fly from McKinney National Airport?
By mid-December 2026, McKinney National Airport flights will serve 11 nonstop destinations: Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, New Orleans, Sarasota/Bradenton, and West Palm Beach. The first five start in November; the other six are added by mid-December.
Where do I park at McKinney National Airport?
The airport has a new 980-space, single-level parking lot with EV charging stations and license-plate-recognition mobile payment systems, so you can pay from your phone. On-site rental car operations and dedicated ride-share facilities are also available at the new terminal.
You May Also Like
- 10 Best Airports in the USA (2026) — how America's top airports rank, and where McKinney's new service fits into the wider U.S. airport picture.
- Los Angeles Airport (LAX): Traveler's Guide — a full guide to navigating one of the country's busiest airports, from terminals to ground transport.
- How Early Should You Arrive at the Airport? — the timing rules that matter most at a brand-new terminal, where arriving early is the smartest move.
No comments:
Post a Comment