Dallas Officially Opening Third Commercial Airport As Budget Airline Confirms 2026 Flights

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It's happening!

Dallas is all set to open a third commercial airport in 2026. After much hoopla earlier this year, there were still some unanswered questions, such as who is going to be the first airline to anchor a small base?

Better yet, with 2 of America's most popular airlines (Southwest and American) being Big D-based already, would any underdogs stand a chance going toe-to-toe with DFW and Love Field?

Well, at least one airline thinks so — and they're betting on their (typically) cheap fares and quick rise to relevancy as surefire ways to get butts in seats.

It's true, one of America's newest airlines taking to U.S. skies is betting big on McKinney, Texas, a popular suburb for Friday Night Lights and down-home charm just half an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Dallas.

2026 seems to be the year where secondary airports are essentially a travel loophole to avoid long TSA lines and take advantage of uncommon routes — and it's no different for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as we near the turn of the calendar.

Why McKinney, TX Of All Places?

NBA star Joakim Noah was once famously quoted as saying, “Who even vacations in Cleveland?”, during a heated battle with LeBron's Cavs.

Well, the same exact thing can be said for McKinney, Texas — not exactly a place you'll be kicking back at a breezy poolside with a margarita in hand.

That said, McKinney definitely makes sense for Dallas's third airport. For starters, DFW is one of the busiest airports in America (and one of my least favorites behind Newark) and could use a breather.

Love Field isn't far behind either, as it's grown exponentially, offering many more options than just Southwest, unlike prior years in operation.

But this is strictly a geographical play, not to hype McKinney as the next “Frisco” per se.

Speaking of Frisco, though, more North Texas residents and visiting tourists are flocking north to one of Texas's fastest-growing cities.

As such, McKinney can alleviate traffic time to surrounding suburbs and Frisco, unlike if you were to land at DFW or Love Field and hop on one of the Metroplex's many loop-the-loop freeways that always seem to have heavy traffic or never-ending construction projects.

McKinney (TKI) Rolls Out Red Carpet For Avelo Airlines

It appears Texans are more welcoming than Californians. When San Diego reopened Carlsbad's airport just north of San Diego city limits, “Karens” came out in full force regarding noise and property values.

But McKinney is giving Avelo a warm Texas embrace, and the airline couldn't be happier to lay roots…

CEO Andrew Levy was quoted as saying, “We are very excited to be the launch airline at TKI. We believe that our everyday low fares, convenient and reliable service, combined with an easy-to-use, small airport, is a combination the residents of McKinney and North Texas will enthusiastically embrace”.

While there are no official routes out of TKI just yet, here are 4 key takeaways travelers should know:

• Avelo Airlines signed a 5-year use and lease agreement, signaling this is not a trial run
• Avelo is the only airline to sign on to TKI thus far
• The new terminal is expected to open in late 2026, with gates, check-in counters, and various passenger amenities
• Avelo plans to announce new routes months before terminal completion

Can we all agree Whataburger needs to sign on too?!

What It's Like Flying America's ‘Most Reliable' Airline

Avelo may be new to many Americans along with Breeze, but they sure know how to make a first impression.

Despite only being in service for less than 5 years, Avelo took the slow and steady route building up their impressive portfolio of mostly secondary airports (as previously mentioned) to become a steady underdog favorite to those willing to give them a chance.

Considered a modern budget airline who doesn't forcefully nickel and dime you like you know who, Avelo takes pride in being more customer-friendly with a clear-cut pricing model without “gotcha” fees and surprising amenities such as:

• One free ‘personal item' included with every ticket (check allowable bag sizes here)
• No change or cancellation fees (fare differences may apply)
• Complimentary water (don't tell Spirit it's a life necessity!)
• Point-to-point routes from smaller airports to reduce delays

Since their inception, Avelo has continuously been ranked as America's most reliable airline with impressively low cancellation rates and on-time performance through the roof.