The newest commercial airport in the United States is almost set to open as they’ve announced their first set of destinations. With its opening slated for November 11th, 2026 McKinney National Airport, (TKI) will offer flights on Avelo Airlines (XP) will offer flights to Atlanta (ATL), Denver (DEN), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Las Vegas (LAS), New Orleans (MSY), Orlando (MCO), and Tampa (TPA).
About McKinney (TKI)
The airport sits in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, around 34 miles due north. This puts it around 45 minutes to an hour of driving time from the center of the city. This is exactly what the city wants, as it targets passengers from the northern suburbs of the city which have been experiencing population booms. It is a much shorter drive to TKI from cities such as Mckinney, Frisco, and Denton which have been rapidly expanding in recent years. Currently the only people that are seeing these benefits are those flying private jets or general aviation, but a much cheaper, more available option is opening up. With the cheaper fares brought on by Avelo, they hope to attract travelers looking for an alternative to the much further and more expensive flights from DFW or DAL airports. Therefore ground breaking for the project started in summer of 2025, and after a year of construction, the new terminal is almost complete.
The Terminal Facility
The facility is planned for up to 200,000 passengers and contains: a brand new 46,000 square foot terminal building, four gates with plans for an additional two more, a brand new taxiway to connect to the existing airfield, de-icing facilities, a new parking lot, ample passenger amenities, and other upgrades to the existing airport to bring it up to standards for commercial service.
What Avelo Brings
Despite being a small, ultra low cost carrier (ULCC), Avelo is driving most of the growth out of the airport. Currently, they are the only airline that will offer service to DTX. Despite the lack of other carriers, the economic fit for both sides makes sense. Both plan on siphoning passengers away from the two main Dallas airports by offering a far more seamless experience. The one downside is the sole reliance on Avelo. They are not the largest, nor most financially stable, so the success of all scheduled operations hinges on Avelo’s ability to operate the flights profitably. This plan has been implemented by the airline in places such as Lakeland (LAL), Wilmington (ILG), and New Haven (HVN) where they’d kickstart new markets, but only time will tell if the new expansion at Mckinney National will live up to those successes.
