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Avelo Airlines to Begin Commercial Flights at McKinney National Airport in November 2026
Avelo Airlines will launch scheduled passenger service from McKinney National Airport, adding a third commercial airport to Dallas-Fort Worth's aviation landscape with flights to five leisure destinations.
The gist
McKinney National Airport will become Dallas-Fort Worth’s third passenger airport as Avelo Airlines starts flights in late 2026.
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The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is set to welcome a new player in its commercial aviation scene as Avelo Airlines announces plans to commence passenger services from McKinney National Airport in November 2026. This marks a significant milestone for McKinney National, historically a general aviation hub, transforming it into North Texas's third commercial passenger airport alongside Dallas/Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports.
Avelo Airlines will kick off operations at McKinney with five leisure-oriented routes using its Boeing 737-800 fleet. The initial destinations include key vacation spots such as Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. The airline plans to base two aircraft at McKinney, creating over 100 jobs spanning pilots, cabin crew, maintenance engineers, and ground personnel. As both the airport’s launch airline and anchor tenant, Avelo is positioning itself at the forefront of McKinney's new commercial chapter.
Traditionally, the Dallas-Fort Worth region’s scheduled travel has revolved around two primary airports. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, one of the busiest globally, serves as a major American Airlines hub, while Dallas Love Field is dominated by Southwest Airlines. With the rapid growth in northern suburbs, McKinney National presents travelers with a convenient alternative that significantly reduces travel time compared to the drive to the larger, more congested airports.
Since its founding in 1979, McKinney National Airport has primarily supported business and general aviation activity. Positioned about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, the airport serves as a reliever for DFW and Love Field and hosts a dynamic mix of corporate jets, private aircraft, air taxi services, and pilot training operations. Companies like Toyota and Texas Instruments have extensive aviation activities in the surrounding region, making McKinney one of Texas’s busiest non-commercial airports with over 140,000 annual aircraft movements and more than 200 based aircraft.
To accommodate its new commercial operations, McKinney is completing a new 46,000 square foot passenger terminal on the airport’s east side. Designed for low-cost carrier efficiency, the facility will initially offer four boarding gates with the capacity to expand to six. Amenities will include central food and beverage options, spacious waiting lounges, nearly 1,000 public parking spaces, rental car facilities, and a modern security screening area. Forecasts suggest the airport could handle approximately 200,000 passengers annually in its early phase, with potential growth to one million passengers as demand increases.
McKinney National’s infrastructure includes a single concrete runway (18/36), 7,002 feet long, equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS) for Runway 18 and RNAV procedures at both ends. This setup can accommodate narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, which are expected to dominate scheduled flights. The airport will continue to nurture its role as a busy general aviation base alongside expanding airline service, maintaining a diverse mix of business jets, turboprops, and private light planes.
For aviation enthusiasts, McKinney’s smaller scale compared to DFW offers appealing aircraft spotting opportunities. Public roads near the airfield provide accessible vantage points, and spotting at the airport’s main entrance near the control tower offers views of business and corporate aviation activity. The introduction of scheduled Boeing 737 flights will add a new dimension, blending commercial jetliners with existing executive aircraft traffic, a combination that traditionally attracts keen spotters.
The transformation of McKinney National Airport into a commercial passenger facility with Avelo Airlines as the launch carrier signals a broader trend of regional airports evolving to meet growing local demand. The expansion reflects both the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s demographic growth and the desire for more convenient travel options in suburban communities. Initial operations will set the foundation for future development with scalability built into the airport’s design, potentially reshaping air travel choices in North Texas for years to come.
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