In under two weeks, McKinney National Airport opens its first commercial passenger terminal. The first flight leaves for Fort Myers on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. By mid-December, Avelo Airlines will fly nonstop from the east side of the airfield to 11 cities.
When you book from DTX, the day of the week matters as much as the destination. Avelo runs DTX on a Wednesday-through-Monday schedule, and several routes go out only twice a week. On those routes, the schedule sets how many nights you stay. If you plan around it, you get an airport in town with a $15-a-day lot.
Eleven Routes, None on Tuesday
Here is every announced route, when it starts and the days it runs, according to the City of McKinney's Sept. 24 release and Avelo's announcements from June 30 and Oct. 15.
| Destination | First flight | Operating days |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers, RSW | Wed., Nov. 11 | Wed., Sat. |
| Las Vegas, LAS | Thu., Nov. 12 | Mon., Thu., Fri., Sun., plus Wed. and Sat. for the holiday season |
| Orlando, MCO | Thu., Nov. 12 | Mon., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. |
| Fort Lauderdale, FLL | Thu., Nov. 19 | Mon., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. |
| Tampa, TPA | Thu., Nov. 19 | Mon., Thu., Fri., Sun. |
| Atlanta, ATL | Wed., Dec. 16 | Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. |
| Denver, DEN | Wed., Dec. 16 | Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. |
| Sarasota/Bradenton, SRQ | Wed., Dec. 16 | Wed., Sat. |
| Nashville, BNA | Thu., Dec. 17 | Thu., Sun. |
| New Orleans, MSY | Thu., Dec. 17 | Thu., Sun. |
| West Palm Beach, DJT | Thu., Dec. 17 | Thu., Sun. |
No route on this list runs on Tuesday. Five of the 11 run twice a week. The extra Las Vegas flights are the only frequency increase so far, and Avelo has described them as peak holiday service.
On Twice-Weekly Routes, the Days Decide Your Trip Length
Big hubs often offer several flights a day, so you pick your dates and then find a flight. The five twice-weekly routes from DTX reverse that. Suppose the return flights run on the same days as the outbound ones. Then a trip from McKinney comes in a few fixed lengths:
- Fort Myers and Sarasota/Bradenton, Wednesday and Saturday: Wednesday to Saturday is three nights, Saturday to Wednesday is four, and anything longer has to run a full week or more.
- Nashville, New Orleans and West Palm Beach, Thursday and Sunday: Thursday to Sunday is a three-night weekend, Sunday to Thursday is a four-night midweek trip, and Thursday to Thursday is a full week.
Pick the days that work for you and confirm the return times on AveloAir.com before you book.
Those fixed lengths suit some trips better than others. Thursday to Sunday in New Orleans or Nashville lines up with a long weekend. Fort Myers and Sarasota/Bradenton fit a Saturday-to-Wednesday stay or a full week on the Gulf Coast. For a Monday-to-Friday trip on one of these routes, DTX won't work.
The Busier Routes Fit a Long Weekend
The four- and five-a-week routes give you more choices, and the days they share follow a clear pattern. Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa all run on both Thursday and Monday. That makes Thursday out and Monday back the natural four-night trip from DTX. Orlando and Fort Lauderdale also run on Friday and Sunday, so a standard two-night weekend works on those routes too.
Atlanta and Denver are built differently. They run Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with no Sunday flight. A weekend in either city means Friday or Saturday out and Monday back. Wednesday to Friday covers a short midweek trip.
The Las Vegas holiday flights fill the route's gaps. With Wednesday and Saturday added, the route runs six days a week, every day except Tuesday. Avelo hasn't published the exact dates of the holiday window, so check the booking page for the dates you want.
What Planning Around the Schedule Saves You
The trade-off is easiest to see in parking. Community Impact reported that the DTX terminal will have 980 public spaces at $15 a day, paid through a contactless system. Here is how the other North Texas airports compare, using rates posted on their own sites as of October 2026:
- DFW terminal parking: $37 a day with a TollTag or $40 by credit card, effective Oct. 1, 2026, per DFW Airport.
- DFW remote parking: $14 a day with a TollTag or $16 by credit card, per DFW Airport.
- Dallas Love Field garages: $24 a day in Garage A, $21 covered or $18 on the roof in Garage B, and $21 covered or $20 on the roof in Garage C, per Love Field.
Take a Thursday-to-Monday trip to Tampa that covers five calendar days. At $15 a day, DTX parking comes to $75. The same five days in DFW terminal parking would cost $185 with a TollTag or $200 by card. DFW's remote lot costs about the same as DTX, so the real difference is the drive to Grapevine and the shuttle ride, not the daily rate. DTX puts terminal-adjacent parking at the remote-lot price.
Avelo is also offering introductory one-way fares starting at $69, according to its Oct. 15 announcement.
Inside a Four-Gate Terminal
Community Impact reported that the terminal and related infrastructure cost $79 million. It opens with four gates and has room for a fifth and sixth as demand grows. According to FlyDTX.com, the building covers 46,000 square feet, and the parking lot has its own access road off FM 546. Avelo lists the terminal address as 1508 Industrial Blvd., McKinney, TX 75069.
A few details for your first trip through:
- Book DTX, not TKI. Commercial flights use the DTX code. TKI stays the FAA identifier for general aviation.
- Arrive 90 minutes early. Avelo's McKinney page says ticket counters open about two hours before departure and close 40 minutes before takeoff.
- Add your Known Traveler Number. Avelo appears on TSA's list of PreCheck participating airlines. Its help page says eligible travelers can enter the number when they book or during online check-in.
- Rental cars are close to the doors. Enterprise holds the rental car contract, with space planned near the terminal entrances.
Community Impact reported Oct. 8 that the City Council approved Creative Hospitality Solutions, LLC to run the terminal's food and beverage counter in the seating area. The concession agreement describes a specialty coffee bar supplied by North Texas roaster Armor Coffee Company. It also plans bakery items, sandwiches, salads, hot food, a self-service grab-and-go market and a "McKinney Made" shelf of local goods. Beer and wine depend on licensing and City approval. Texas-based artists painted two murals for the building, one at the curb and one in baggage claim.
Why the Schedule Will Probably Change
Expect the calendar to keep changing. Avelo first announced five destinations and two based aircraft in June. In September it raised that to nine destinations and a third aircraft. In October it reached 11 destinations, all before a single flight had left McKinney. All three based aircraft are 184-seat Boeing 737-800s. Avelo says its McKinney base opens Nov. 11 and will create about 150 jobs.
The building has plenty of spare room. Airport officials told Community Impact the terminal is designed for up to 1 million passengers a year. The runway now measures 8,002 feet, and work continues on Taxiway C, which will connect the terminal ramp to it. More flights on the twice-weekly routes would give travelers more trip lengths to choose from. For now, check FlyDTX.com and AveloAir.com for the current days before you plan around them, because the network has already changed three times since June.
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