North Texas’s Third Passenger Airport Just Sent Its First Flight to Florida

McKinney National Airport became the third airport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with commercial passenger service on Wednesday, November 11, when Avelo Airlines operated its inaugural flight, AirlineGeeks reports. Flight 1848, a Boeing 737-800, departed for Fort Myers, Florida. The airport sits about 30 miles northeast of Dallas in Collin County and joins Dallas Love Field and DFW International as the region’s passenger airports, with a six-gate terminal built for its new role.

Avelo’s other McKinney routes begin rolling out from Thursday and through next week. In total, the airline plans to serve 11 destinations from McKinney: Las Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Sarasota-Bradenton, Nashville, West Palm Beach, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. The list leans heavily on Florida leisure destinations, which matches Avelo’s strategy of connecting smaller, convenient airports with popular vacation spots. Several of the routes overlap with destinations already served from Love Field and DFW, so McKinney is competing on convenience rather than reach.

Airport director Ken Carley said Avelo had wanted to enter the market since 2018, and AirlineGeeks notes McKinney is the first new Texas airport in two decades to be certified for commercial service. Avelo chief executive Andrew Levy said McKinney is the airline’s fifth crew base, with about 150 employees. The carrier already flies between DFW and New Haven, Connecticut, and Levy said that route will continue for now but could move to McKinney later.

For travelers north of Dallas, in fast-growing suburbs such as McKinney, Frisco, Allen and Plano, the new airport offers a shorter drive and smaller crowds than the region’s two big airports. Avelo is a low-cost carrier, so compare the full price once bags and seat selection are added. AirlineGeeks did not report fares, and service on several routes may not be daily, so check Avelo’s schedule carefully before planning a holiday trip around the new airport.

Sources: AirlineGeeks