McKinney readies commercial terminal; Avelo signs lease and city targets November start

Airport Director Ken Carley told the Visit McKinney board on May 26 that construction of the new commercial terminal at McKinney National Airport is well underway and staff remain on track to begin operations in November. "We are moving towards starting operations in November, and we're on track with our construction to do that," Carley said during the presentation.

Carley said the terminal will open with a 46,000-square-foot building, roughly 1,000 day-one parking spaces and expandable aircraft parking positions. He told the board Avelo has signed a use-and-lease agreement as the anchor carrier and has given the city a tentative schedule, with about 30 flights a week and three aircraft based day one. "Avelo is the first airline that has... signed our use and lease agreement," Carley said.

The airport director outlined related airfield projects including a north runway extension to reach an 8,000-foot runway and taxiway improvements to support larger aircraft. He said the airport operates on a self-sustaining business model with an operating budget near $16 million, funded by fuel sales, hangar rents and ground leases, and that current general aviation activity produces roughly $300 million in annual economic output.

Carley cited a letter-of-intent scenario from Avelo used in an economic-impact study that estimated an eventual third-year scenario of about 450,000 enplanements and an additional nearly $400 million in economic activity above current levels. He said the city plans to give the first airline assurance information before mid-June so carriers can finalize planning for a November start.

Board members asked about comparable airports and workforce partnerships; Carley noted there are few exact analogues but pointed to Gulf Shores and airports with strong general aviation ecosystems, and said airlines have signaled interest in workforce partnerships with local high-school and Collin College programs. The board also discussed connectivity projects, including spur-road extensions that would improve access to the airport.

The airport briefing included renderings, project timelines and projected service patterns; Carley answered board questions about likely leisure-focused initial routes and partnership opportunities for local workforce development. The city and Visit McKinney staff described ongoing coordination with the airline and economic-development partners to promote the new service.