Flying Out of McKinney National Airport for the First Time: What to Expect

McKinney National Airport opens to airline passengers on November 11, 2026, when Avelo's first flight leaves for Fort Myers. Las Vegas and Orlando follow on November 12, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale on November 19, and Denver, Atlanta, Nashville and New Orleans in mid-December. If you've only ever flown out of DFW or Love Field, DTX will feel very different: a 46,000-square-foot terminal with four gates and one airline.

Getting there: the passenger terminal is on the east side of the airport, reached by its own access road off FM 546. That's a different entrance from the general-aviation side of the airport that has been there for years. In the first weeks, check that your map app is taking you to the new terminal and not the old airport address, and leave a few extra minutes in case it isn't.

Parking: the terminal lot has 980 public spaces, and the rate was reported as $15 a day with contactless payment. That's less than half DFW's terminal rate from October 1. As of late September the airport's own website hadn't posted the official rates yet, so we'll update this page when it does. If someone is dropping you off, there's a curbside departures zone, and a free cell-phone lot for people picking passengers up.

When to arrive: plan on 90 minutes before departure for the first few weeks, or two hours if you're checking a bag and don't have TSA PreCheck. The terminal is small, but it's brand new. The TSA checkpoint, the staff and the crowds for opening week are all untested. Once the airport has settled in and we know what a normal morning looks like, the buffer should shrink.

Avelo's cutoffs are the part that actually decides whether you make your flight. You can check in online from 24 hours before departure. At the airport, bags can be checked from two hours before takeoff, and the counter closes 40 minutes before departure. Boarding starts 45 minutes before departure, and you have to be on the plane 15 minutes before. Flights don't wait once the doors close. Buy any bags when you book rather than at the airport, and check in on your phone the day before.

Security: TSA screens passengers at DTX like any other commercial airport, and PreCheck lanes are planned. The standard rules apply: liquids 3.4 ounces or less in one quart-size bag, and laptops out unless you're in PreCheck.

Inside the terminal: the airport has announced central food and drink concessions with quick-service options. With four gates, the walk from security to your gate is short, which is the real upgrade over DFW.

Coming home: arrivals come back into the same terminal. Enterprise runs the on-site rental car counter, and whoever is picking you up can wait in the free cell-phone lot until you're at the curb.