Dallas metro is getting a 3rd airport, flights to 5 cities begin this fall
It's really happening: the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is getting a third commercial airport. And from the start, it will be anchored by one of America's newest budget airlines.
Avelo Airlines on Tuesday announced it will be the first carrier to serve McKinney National Airport (DTX), which is expected to debut its new terminal and commercial flights later this year.
The five-year-old budget airline revealed its first five nonstop destinations, too, with service to four Florida cities — along with Las Vegas – set to launch in November.
A new airport in the Metroplex
This week's news was years in the making.
Leaders in McKinney have long discussed turning the 40-year-old general aviation airport into one that would welcome airlines.
Those plans kicked into high gear last summer when the city broke ground on a 46,000 square foot terminal that would house real passenger gates.
The idea: to offer North Texans an air travel alternative to the region's two larger hubs.
The airport is located in fast-growing Collin County, some 30-plus miles from both mega-hub Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Southwest Airlines home base Dallas Love Field (DAL).
Now, with the airport's new terminal on track to open later this year, according to the city, flights from DTX are now officially scheduled — and on sale.
5 initial Avelo routes
Avelo on Tuesday announced plans to make a base out of McKinney, which will house two of its Boeing 737-800 jets and around 100 crewmembers.
The carrier also revealed the airport's first five routes, which will each launch in November:
| Route | Launch date | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
DTX to Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) | Nov. 12 | Four times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays |
DTX to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) | Nov. 19 | Five times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays |
DTX to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) near Fort Myers | Nov. 11 | Twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays |
DTX to Orlando International Airport (MCO) | Nov. 12 | Five tims per wek on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays |
DTX to Tampa International Airport (TPA) | Nov. 19 | Four times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays |
Sunshine destinations galore
A clear trend in all of the new Avelo routes from McKinney: they're all meant to take passengers popular vacation destinations, with four cities in Florida and then Las Vegas on the list.
That tracks with Avelo's business model: Avelo is an ultra-low-cost carrier that operates on bare-bones, discounted fares (and add-on fees) similar to far larger Frontier Airlines and now-defunct Spirit Airlines.
How successful will McKinney and Avelo be?
Will customers flock to McKinney and Avelo's new service from the DFW region? Time will tell.
A mixed bag in past Avelo markets
Avelo has certainly had its share of swings — and misses — during its relatively short history; last summer, the airline's finances forced it to abandon its West Coast route network.
But the carrier has been a mainstay at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in Connecticut in recent years. That airport had struggled holding on to passenger airline service during the past decade, and when Avelo launched service there, HVN — like McKinney — had no regularly scheduled flights.
One of the biggest draws of Avelo's service from McKinney? Giving North Texas another low-cost airline option in the wake of Spirit's demise in May — especially given its plan to fly to popular leisure spots.
After Spirit's collapse, industry insiders I spoke with noted the best opportunity for low-cost carriers, going forward, would likely involve serving niche markets with little competition from the larger airlines. That could make getting in on DTX from the jump a strong play for Avelo.
Ultimately, the biggest question may be whether travelers actually think of Avelo — and McKinney — when booking that spring break trip, summer vacation or long weekend getaway. The carrier and airport will likely be hoping to win bargain-hunters searching fares on comparision sites like Google Flights and Kayak.
North Texas gets an airline and airport alternative
There's plenty of precedent for major metropolitan airports to have three (or more) commercial airports, the Metroplex is growing fast and the new airport will be more geographically convenient to northern residents.
On the other hand, travelers have spent decades driving to DFW and DAL — and Avelo, like McKinney, isn't a household name for a lot of travelers.
So it's worth watching to see how things progress in McKinney.
"Avelo was built for moments like this, and we are thrilled to be the launch and anchor airline at McKinney," Andrew Levy, the airline's founder and CEO, said in a statement announcing the news Tuesday.
On track for late 2026 opening
McKinney leaders this week confirmed the four-gate terminal is on track to open later in 2026. The facility would have the flexibility to expand to six gates for airline service in the future.
DTX is expected to serve 200,000 passengers annually, with the flexibility to host 1 million annual travelers in the future.
With each of Avelo's initial routes set to launch in mid-November, the airport would be in operation by the Thanksgiving holiday rush.
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