Avelo Airlines hasn't flown a single commercial flight out of McKinney National Airport (DTX) yet, but the low-cost carrier is already doubling down on North Texas. Ahead of the base's planned November 11 launch, Avelo has announced four additional nonstop routes and a third Boeing 737 for the airport, taking its McKinney network to nine destinations.
The base opens with five routes: Las Vegas plus four Florida destinations — Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. Then in mid-December 2026, four more cities join the map. Denver and Atlanta start on December 16 with four weekly flights each (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays), while New Orleans and Nashville follow on December 17 with twice-weekly service on Thursdays and Sundays. Introductory one-way fares for the new markets start at $99, with a promotional first checked bag thrown in.
The additions round out Avelo's offering from McKinney in a smart way. Florida and Las Vegas cover the leisure crowd, Denver is a brand-new destination for the airline overall, and Atlanta plugs Collin County travellers into one of the biggest aviation markets in the country. Nashville and New Orleans add two of the South's most popular short-break cities.
The third 184-seat Next-Generation 737 is arguably the bigger story. It signals a genuine investment in the base rather than a cautious toe-dip, and Avelo says the expansion will create roughly 150 jobs at the airport, from pilots and flight attendants to technicians and ground staff. Founder and CEO Andrew Levy pointed to strong early bookings as proof that North Texas wants the service.
The pitch is simple: skip the big airports. McKinney sits in Collin County, one of the fastest-growing corners of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and Avelo is betting that travellers north of Dallas will happily drive to a small, easy airport with short security lines and cheap parking rather than fight their way to DFW or Love Field. The airport's new passenger terminal is expected to be finished within weeks, just in time for commercial operations to begin ahead of the holidays.
Avelo's broader playbook is worth knowing. The airline now serves 39 destinations across 17 states and Puerto Rico with a fleet of 17 737s, and has flown more than 10.5 million passengers since launching in April 2021. It's also shopping for a different kind of plane: an order for up to 100 Embraer E195-E2s placed in September 2025 would make it the first US operator of the type, a 140-seater in a 2-by-2 layout with no middle seats.
For travellers, this is good news if you live anywhere north of Dallas. Nine nonstop leisure and city-break routes from a hassle-free local airport, at fares starting under $100, is a genuinely useful alternative — and if demand holds, expect more routes to follow from DTX.
