McKinney National Airport Avelo Flights: Your Holiday Schedule

"We're weeks away from completing construction on our brand-new passenger terminal, which is on time and generating excitement from our North Texas community who appreciate how easy it will be to travel from their hometown airport during the upcoming holidays and beyond," McKinney Director of Aviation Ken Carley said in the City of McKinney's September 24, 2026 release.

The terminal at McKinney National Airport opens to passengers on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11. The holidays are coming, and getting there will be easier. But whether DTX works for a particular trip depends on the day of the week as much as the destination. Avelo Airlines, the launch carrier, publishes a schedule that runs Wednesday through Monday. Each route then flies only on certain days within that window. Plan the McKinney holiday trip around the weekday first and the city second.

Nine Cities, Six Days, and No Tuesdays

Avelo will base three 184-seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s at DTX. That count went up before a single flight left McKinney. The original June 30 announcement named five destinations and two based aircraft. The September update added four more cities and the third plane.

Three planes cover a lot of ground, but they don't cover every route every day. Fort Myers runs twice a week. Las Vegas and Tampa run four times a week. Orlando and Fort Lauderdale run five times. In December, Atlanta and Denver join at four times a week, and Nashville and New Orleans at twice a week. November's five routes add up to 20 weekly frequencies. Once the December cities start, the total rises to 32.

Set those routes against the calendar and the weekly pattern is clear:

The start dates are staggered. Fort Myers starts November 11. Las Vegas and Orlando start November 12, and Tampa and Fort Lauderdale November 19. Atlanta and Denver begin Wednesday, December 16, and Nashville and New Orleans begin Thursday, December 17.

Thanksgiving Week, Day by Day

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, about two weeks after the terminal opens. All five November routes will be flying by then. The published grid makes that week look uneven.

Wednesday, November 25, the traditional getaway day, has one scheduled DTX route, Fort Myers. Someone hoping to leave for Orlando or Las Vegas the night before the holiday won't find a Wednesday departure from McKinney.

Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day, has the full Thursday lineup: Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.

Saturday, November 28, narrows to Fort Myers, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Sunday, November 29, brings back Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale for the weekend return. Fort Myers doesn't fly Sundays. As published, a Thanksgiving trip to Southwest Florida lines up with Wednesday and Saturday flights.

Tuesday, December 1, has nothing scheduled, same as every Tuesday.

That pattern is good for residents taking a long weekend in Florida or Las Vegas, especially one that starts on Thanksgiving Day itself. For any other schedule, it's best to price the trip against the weekday grid before picking dates.

December Fills In the Middle of the Week

The four December cities change Wednesdays more than any other day. Before December 16, a Wednesday at DTX means Fort Myers and nothing else. After that date, Wednesdays also offer Atlanta and Denver. Nashville and New Orleans run on Thursdays and Sundays, so a Thursday-to-Sunday weekend fits those two cities.

The December routes start just over a week before Christmas. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24, and Christmas Day is Friday, December 25. Going by the published days, Atlanta and Denver have Wednesday, December 23 and Saturday, December 26 on their schedule. Nashville and New Orleans have December 24 and Sunday, December 27. Tuesdays December 22 and 29 stay empty. The schedule as released doesn't mention any holiday exceptions, so confirm specific dates when booking on AveloAir.com.

Bookings use the airport's code, DTX. That code will show up on airline websites, booking portals, boarding passes, checked-bag tags and itinerary emails. If a confirmation email shows a different code, the trip is probably booked out of one of the two big DFW airports by mistake.

Curb to Gate at a Four-Gate Terminal

The schedule is narrow, and the building is too. That's partly why it could be finished quickly. The $79 million terminal and related infrastructure took about 18 months from groundbreaking to the November 11 opening. It opens with four gates and has room for a fifth and sixth. Carley described it to Community Impact as built for up to 1 million passengers a year with "a simple and accessible curb-to-cabin experience."

Here are the details settled as of late September:

• Address. Visit McKinney lists the terminal at 1910 FM 546, McKinney, TX 75069, on the east side of the airport, with access from US 380 and US 75. Avelo's destination page gives a different address, 1508 Industrial Blvd. Before the first trip, check which address a map app uses for the passenger terminal.
• Access road. Airport plans call for a dedicated terminal and parking road off FM 546, with a roundabout at FM 546 bringing traffic onto the site.
• Parking. The terminal has 980 public spaces at $15 a day, paid through a contactless system. Visit McKinney says parking is right at the terminal, with no remote lot or shuttle. A four-night Thanksgiving trip, Thursday to Monday, comes to $60 in parking at the posted daily rate.
• Rental cars. Enterprise is the on-site rental car provider.
• Food and shops. Concessions will be grouped past security. As of September 24, officials were still finalizing food, beverage and retail vendors, so no names have been announced.
• Art. Texas-based artists painted two murals, one at the curb and one in baggage claim.

The published sources don't yet say how many security lanes there will be, what hours the checkpoint keeps, or where rideshare pickup is. Those details will likely come out closer to opening day.

Work on the airfield is still going. Crews are building Taxiway C, which will link the commercial terminal ramp to the recently extended runway, now 8,002 feet long. The FAA's operating certificate, required before commercial service can start, was presented at the September 24 event. FAA Southwest Region Airports director Ignacio Flores said the last time Texas saw one awarded was more than 20 years ago.

When the Holiday Traffic Comes Inbound

The same weekday grid applies to family flying into McKinney. A relative in Orlando or Fort Lauderdale has a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday flight to DTX. A relative near Fort Myers is limited to Wednesdays and Saturdays.

A guest who arrives on Thanksgiving Thursday or Friday will be in town for Home for the Holidays in Historic Downtown McKinney, November 27 through 29. Admission is free, and McKinney Main Street lists the community tree lighting for Friday at 6:15 p.m., though one Community Impact roundup gives the date as November 28, so check the date closer to the weekend. Guests who need a hotel will have a new one. AC Hotel McKinney at 7600 SH 121 is set to open in mid-November, with rooms bookable for stays from November 15. Good & Proper Wood-Fired Bistro is on its fifth floor. The hotel's opening date has already slipped once, from mid-October to mid-November, so guests should confirm it before booking.

The city's release expects Avelo to create more than 100 jobs at DTX, including pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians and ground staff. Community Impact put the total at about 150 once the third aircraft is counted. Openings are listed at aveloair.com/careers.

A hometown airport changes how quickly you can get out of McKinney, and for some households it also figures into where they want to live. If DTX's schedule has you thinking about a move within Collin County, or you'd like to know what your current home is worth before you decide, ProMoves Team is glad to help. Start your move by requesting a free home valuation.