Move Over Dallas! Nearby Airport Set To Welcome Commercial Flights For First Time Ever

They say “everything is bigger in Texas” and that applies to the headaches and frustrations of navigating the nation's third busiest airport, DFW.

Thankfully, Dallas has long been home to Love Field too — typically less of a Texas-sized pain in the you know what anchored by one of Americans' favorite airlines, Southwest.

Despite Big D's best attempt to become one of the country's new vacation hotspots, one thing that holds this iconic city back is how long it takes to travel between attractions.

Locals commonly joke that anything worthwhile is 30 minutes away, and it's often true. With loopty-loop overpasses, never-ending roadway construction, and oversized trucks taking over highways, get comfortable because there's no such thing as a short drive.

Well, one Dallas ‘burb is aiming to become a draw in its own right for locals and newbies alike.

With a new airport set to welcome commercial flights in the near future, airlines and government officials are already behind closed doors, ready to shake hands and kiss babies, making the north side of the Metroplex easier to reach than ever before.

McKinney Is ‘Cleared For Takeoff'

We at Travel Off Path do the best we can to deliver exciting travel news promptly, but we're also humble enough to admit when we're not the first to do so.

When word broke of privately used McKinney National Airport turning public, locals in and around McKinney have voiced mixed opinions about their beloved, laid-back town known more for “Friday Night Lights” in their $70 million McKinney ISD Football Stadium than it is a tourist destination per se.

Among the concerns are traffic, noise, and potential environmental impact, which is ironic for a state commonly known for scoffing at electric vehicles, but hey, steer horns don't look the same on a grill of a Tesla.

City Mayor George Fuller officially announced McKinney's airport was ‘cleared for takeoff' in May, meaning shovels were permitted to hit dirt this month with the expected first flight coming in late 2026.

McKinney Versus Frisco

McKinney is a popular Dallas suburb to raise families and score bang-for-your-buck real estate, but as far as attractions go, unless you want to see high school footballers play better than the world-famous Dallas Cowboys or check out the quaint downtown district with Mom n' Pop eats and boutique shops, there's not a lot going on.

Circling back to our humbleness in not being the first to report this news, I personally believe there's one aspect I've yet to see discussed — McKinney's soon-to-open airport is really a gateway to Frisco, one of America's fastest growing cities.

Frisco has exploded in popularity over the years all starting with the gargantuan Stonebriar Centre, North Texas's version of the renowned Mall of America, and still seeing continued growth.

Now hosting FC Dallas, the Dallas Cowboys training facility, PGA of America, the Texas Rangers' minor league team (RoughRiders), the always-fun Universal Kids Resort, and the lively Rail District, Frisco has become a destination unto itself, but can be easily reached from McKinney without hitting I-30's dreadful traffic.

Though, D Magazine also recently announced a new JW Marriott Resort will open in McKinney in the coming years to prove they're not just a sleepy suburb.

Have Airlines Committed To Flying Out Of McKinney?

There's no doubt airlines will fill however many slots McKinney will end up offering, but it depends on who you ask if there's been a commitment so far.

According to the ‘geeks' at Airline Geeks, McKinney is all but certain to welcome Avelo Airlines as their first carrier to take flight in 2026.

How do they know?

Well, local DFW news station WFAA did some digging. So much so they had to file a Public Information Act request to get an answer, which uncovered Avelo signed a ‘letter of intent' to occupy McKinney National Airport.

Avelo had no comment on the matter, but if this does come to fruition (and sounds promising it will), this lesser-known airline has consistently ranked as America's most reliable airline since their inception in Summer 2021.

Their key to success? It seems they prefer operating at secondary airports to lessen the likelihood of delays at more chaotic airports.