Avelo Airlines is doubling down on North Texas. The budget carrier has announced four new non-stop routes from Dallas' McKinney National Airport (DTX) — the small airport in Collin County that Avelo treats as its Dallas base — along with a third aircraft stationed there.
The new destinations roll out mid-December: Denver flights take off on December 16, followed on December 17 by service to both New Orleans and Nashville. They join the airport's original Avelo lineup, which launches November 11 and covers five Florida and Nevada heavyweights — Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. Once all routes are up and running, the airport will offer nine non-stop destinations under the Avelo brand.
To handle the extra flying, Avelo is basing a third Boeing 737-900 at DTX, an aircraft configured with 184 seats. Company leadership frames the expansion as proof of demand rather than optimism. CEO Andrew Levy said the response from North Texas had been "extraordinary" and that bookings back it up, pointing to the airline's low fares, its industry-leading on-time performance and the convenience of a small airport as the draw. Avelo, a Texas-born company, has clearly identified Collin County — one of the fastest-growing areas in the US — as a market worth committing to.
For travellers, the real story is what DTX means in practice. Anyone living in McKinney, Plano, Frisco or the northern Dallas suburbs has traditionally faced the drive down to DFW, one of the busiest airports in the country. Avelo's model flips that: depart from a small terminal close to home, skip the long security lines, and pay fares pitched firmly at the budget end of the market. The trade-offs are the usual ones with low-cost carriers — expect unbundled pricing where bags and seat selection cost extra — but for direct flights to places like Denver, Nashville and New Orleans, that maths works for plenty of people.
The route map is also smartly chosen for weekend-trip energy. Nashville for music and food, New Orleans for exactly what you'd expect, Denver as a gateway to the Rockies, plus the Florida cities for sun-and-theme-park breaks and Vegas for everything Vegas does. Nine non-stops from a suburban airport is a genuine alternative to hub-hopping.
If you're in North Texas or planning a trip there, it's worth checking DTX before defaulting to DFW — especially for a short break in the second half of December, when the new routes begin. Just note the staggered launch dates: Denver first, then Nashville and New Orleans a day later, and don't confuse McKinney National with the region's bigger airports. Avelo's expansion here suggests the airline sees plenty of room to grow, so more destinations from this little corner of Texas could well follow.
