Avelo Airlines is still building out its brand-new base at McKinney National Airport north of Dallas, and on 15 October it added two more Florida gateways plus extra Las Vegas weekend flying. According to the carrier's PR Newswire release and AirlineGeeks, service from McKinney (DTX) to Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ) begins 16 December on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while West Palm Beach (DJT) starts 17 December on Thursdays and Sundays. Both routes are twice weekly.
The additions lift Avelo's planned Collin County network to 11 nonstop destinations. Introductory one-way fares were advertised from $69, with bookings pointed to AveloAir.com.
Las Vegas goes to six weekly for the holidays
To meet holiday demand on McKinney–Las Vegas, Avelo is temporarily adding Wednesday and Saturday flights, bringing that route to six weekly in the peak season. The previous pattern was four weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. CEO Andrew Levy said North Texas continues to support the airline and called the DTX mix of low fares, a convenient airport and on-time performance a winning combination for the region.
How the McKinney map fills in
Avelo opens the McKinney base on Veterans Day, Wednesday 11 November 2026, when the airport moves from general aviation into scheduled commercial service. Opening routes cover Las Vegas plus Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. Mid-December already included Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans and Nashville before the latest Florida pair was announced. Three Boeing Next-Generation 737s will be based at DTX, and the airline says the investment should create about 150 local jobs for pilots, cabin crew, technicians and airport staff.
Avelo flies a fleet of 17 Boeing 737s today and has ordered up to 100 Embraer E195-E2s, which would make it the first U.S. carrier on that type. For now, McKinney flying is planned on 184-seat 737-800s. The carrier also points travelers to Stretch+ seating with a blocked middle seat and to its Avelo PLUS membership for discounted fares and priority boarding.
A hometown ULCC play in Collin County
McKinney sits in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and Avelo is positioning itself as Collin County's first hometown airline rather than another gate at Dallas/Fort Worth or Love Field. AirlineGeeks notes Avelo is so Faraday the only airline with scheduled passenger plans at DTX, though that could change if traffic builds. For Florida-bound travelers north of Dallas, the December SRQ and West Palm Beach launches add leisure options without a drive into the metro's bigger hubs.
Whether the twice-weekly Florida pattern sticks after the first winter will depend on loads, but the schedule is already denser than the five-route opening map Avelo filed when it first announced the base in June. Collin County officials have pitched McKinney as a relief valve for North Texas leisure flying, and Avelo's denser December map puts that pitch to a commercial test. Travelers should check airline apps for the latest aircraft assignments before departure.
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