The first commercial flight from McKinney is set to depart for Florida on Nov. 11.
Less than a week before the first commercial passenger service flight takes off at McKinney National Airport, officials gathered to celebrate the opening and welcome community members into the facility.
A Nov. 6 community preview event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the terminal, as well as ceremonies marking the completion of two murals at the facility. City leaders and community members toured the completed facility, which has been under construction since mid-2025.
What they’re saying
McKinney National Airport Director Ken Carley called the milestone “a new chapter” for the airport, which has been a “thriving general aviation airport for decades,” he said.
McKinney Mayor Bill Cox said every city department has had a hand in the planning of the airport terminal, highlighting the airport team’s planning efforts as well as the contributions of Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton.
“This is one of those legacy projects that we are proud of, not only as a city, but as a region,” Cox said. “This commercial terminal is bigger than McKinney.”
Carley also highlighted the city’s partnership with Avelo Airlines in his comments at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, noting that the company has hired about 100 people for operations at McKinney’s airport.
“Avelo [Airlines] is basing three aircraft here, so their crews will live and work and play in our community,” Carley said.
Also of note
City leaders also hosted ribbon-cuttings for two murals completed by Texas-based artists. Austin-based artist Mila Sketch painted a mural on an outdoor screening masonry wall located near the entrance to the rental car counters.
Sketch said she was inspired by the McKinney community and its history when painting the mural. She used more than 40 colors and more than 25 gallons of paint to complete the mural in six weeks.
“I hope the future passengers and viewers and community as a whole will be excited like I am and very proud like I am,” Sketch said.
A second mural was completed inside the terminal’s baggage claim room on the north wall. Dallas-based artist Alec DeJesus completed the mural, which depicts people walking with suitcases and travel bags.
DeJesus said he relied on many different techniques including digital stencils and woodworking when creating the mural. He said he wanted to highlight the people in McKinney as well as the travel experience.
“When we travel, we travel with what’s considered our essentials,” he said. “That says a lot about ourselves.”
Quote of note
“Be proud of what this is and what this will become,” Cox said of the commercial service terminal. “This will become part of the fabric of who we are, and it will become part of the daily activities for businesses, for families to come to and from McKinney. Be proud of it. This is our airport.”
The context
The terminal opening comes less than four years after McKinney residents voted against a $200 million bond proposition that would have contributed funding to the project.
McKinney officials opted to move forward with the initiative on a smaller scale, ultimately constructing a 46,000-square-foot terminal with four gates and the capacity to expand the facility in the future. The $79 million project is instead funded by a mix of local city funds and grants.
Avelo Airlines officials signed on as the terminal’s first airline partner in December 2025 and have since committed to basing three Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft at the airport. The airline’s investment is expected to create 150 jobs, including pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians and airport personnel.
Looking ahead
The first flight, operated by Avelo Airlines, will take off Nov. 11 for Fort Myers, Florida. Routes launching from Nov. 11-19 include flights to:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Orlando, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Additional Avelo Airlines routes are set to launch Dec. 16-17, with flights to:
The terminal is located at 1910 FM 546, according to McKinney National Airport's website. For more details regarding traveler advisories and airport information, visit www.flydtx.com.
