North Texas travelers will have a new way to fly beginning Wednesday, November 11. McKinney National Airport, about 30 miles north of Dallas, is preparing to open its first commercial passenger terminal, giving residents of fast-growing Collin County an alternative to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field.
The opening has another story behind it. In May 2023, McKinney voters rejected a $200 million bond proposal for a much larger terminal. City officials subsequently moved forward with a scaled-down project financed through sales-tax-backed borrowing and other funds rather than the rejected property-tax-backed general obligation bonds.
Now a four-gate terminal is ready for scheduled service, and Avelo Airlines has committed aircraft, routes and jobs. Whether the airport becomes a lasting transportation alternative will depend on more than the first departure.
A smaller terminal after a rejected bond
The original 2023 proposal envisioned a roughly 144,000-square-foot commercial terminal and supporting improvements. Nearly 59% of voters rejected the $200 million borrowing measure. The rejection did not amount to a legal prohibition on all future airport investment, but it ruled out the requested voter-authorized financing…