Dallas/Ft. Worth Area One Step Closer to Having 3rd Commercial Airport

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The Dallas-Fort Worth Area is big.  As the 3rd fastest growing U.S. metro in 2024, and one of the ten most populous counties in the country, it is seemingly getting bigger by the day.

According to a study from the Texas Demographic Center, the increase is largely due to the growth of Dallas’ northern suburban cities. And as more people relocate to areas such as Allen, Frisco, McKinney and Plano, more infrastructure is needed. Take airports, for example.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is on the far west side of town and is a crowded mess. Dallas Love Field is closer to the northern suburbs but is also busting at the seams, especially during the holiday travel season.

So what are leaders going to do? Change McKinney National Airport (TKI) to finally have a commercial passenger service terminal.

Why McKinney? Revisiting a 1970s Vision

The FAA proposed building the area’s third major commercial airport in McKinney in the 1970s, but local voters rejected the $50M bond needed to build the new facility. Instead, a regional airport, Collin County Regional Airport, was built at the location in the late 1970s.

After some upgrades (extension and additions of the airport’s runways, an ATC tower, and more) through the 2010s, the airport was purchased by the City of McKinney in 2013, and its name was changed to McKinney National Airport (TKI).

Fast forward a decade, and more additions were made to the airport. However, it wasn’t approved for commercial flights (as of late 2023, the airport had 142,001 aircraft operations, an average of 389 per day: 93% general aviation, 6% air taxi and <1% military).

Although TKI had another opportunity to become a commercial airport in 2023, voters again rejected the bonds to do so – which had now increased to $200 M.

Terminal Plans Finally Take Flight

But in January 2025, change started happening. The city council approved construction of a 45,000-square-foot commercial passenger terminal that would include three gates (with the ability to expand to five gates), a 1,500-spot parking lot, six aircraft parking positions for both commercial and general aviation uses, an aircraft de-icing facility, above-ground fuel storage tanks and other supportive infrastructure.

They believe the airport would begin with 20 commercial flights per day.

Other planned features include:

• A quick-service concessions stand with food and beverage options
• Open hold rooms for passengers
• A rental car lot
• A ride-share drop-off location
• Electric vehicle charging spaces
• Airport infrastructure, including Taxiway C, and improved access to the airport off local roads

How It’s Being Funded

In February, 2025, the McKinney City Council approved a pre-construction contract for a new commercial terminal which is expected to cost $72 million. Funding for the project will not come from bonds, but from both local and federal sources with funding having been confirmed to be coming from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, the McKinney Community Development Corporation, and a $30M federal loan with potential additional sources of funding from federal or state transportation funds and tax increment reinvestment zones.

By March, 2025, nearly $52.5 million had been secured and the project was approved to start this May, with completion by July, 2026.

Timeline and Airline Interest

According to Community Impact, commercial flights are scheduled to begin at the airport in late 2026.

One carrier has already expressed interest, but the name is not being divulged due to a nondisclosure agreement with (un)said airline. However, McKinney Mayor George Fuller told Star Local Media that it flies from smaller, secondary markets to major cities throughout the U.S., exclusively operating 737 aircraft…which pretty much narrows down the contenders. 😉 Fuller also said the city is in discussions with two other airlines, as well.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary