McKinney National Airport is set to welcome its first commercial passengers on Nov. 11, marking a milestone for the growing North Texas community. Avelo Airlines, the airport’s sole carrier, will operate the inaugural flight to Fort Myers, Florida, and currently serves eleven destinations from McKinney.
Local leaders celebrate the launch
“It feels good. It’s a milestone,” said Airport Director Ken Carley. He praised the years of behind‑the‑scenes work that have brought the project to this point. The terminal, which received FAA certification in September, has been transformed from an empty space into a fully functional passenger facility.
Community response
Long‑time McKinney resident Rod Rimmer, who moved to the city six years ago, toured the new terminal and expressed his enthusiasm. “I was very impressed. Everything seems obviously very new,” he said. Rimmer highlighted the convenience of a shorter drive compared with Dallas‑Fort Worth International Airport, noting it takes about 45 minutes to reach DFW from his home, while McKinney National is practically a neighbor.
He hopes the airline will expand westward. “I’m hoping that we’re going to see flights that develop going west as well as to the east,” Rimmer said. Currently, only two of Avelo’s eleven routes—Las Vegas and Denver—serve destinations west of North Texas, making travel to his former home in central California a two‑day journey.
Future growth plans
Carley said airport officials will closely monitor demand as commercial service begins. “We want to understand how the community responds, what the demand is,” he explained. “We want to work with Avelo and create opportunities where they can add routes.” The terminal opened with four gates but was built to accommodate six, and hundreds of acres surrounding the airport remain undeveloped for future expansion.
For now, the focus is on getting the first passengers off the ground. “It’s significant,” Carley added. “It’s more choices. It’s more options for North Texas.”
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
