Avelo Airlines Adds Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, New Orleans

Avelo Airlines will begin service to Atlanta, Denver, Nashville and New Orleans from McKinney National Airport starting in December 2026. The low-cost carrier announced the four new nonstop routes from the Collin County airport.

Starting in December, Avelo will operate Atlanta service four-times weekly from December 16. Flights to Atlanta will run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. New Orleans service begins twice-weekly on December 17, operating on Thursday and Sunday. New services will launch on December 16 to Denver and Atlanta, with Nashville and New Orleans joining the following day.

Fleet and operational details at DTX

Avelo Airlines will base three 184-seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 jet aircraft at DTX to support the expanded schedule. The third aircraft will enable the four new destinations from McKinney. Founder and CEO Andrew Levy stated that adding four new destinations and a third based aircraft cements Avelo's commitment to Collin County. The move brings to nine the total number of destinations Avelo will serve from McKinney National Airport.

Avelo's other operational bases include Southern Connecticut's Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), Philadelphia/Delaware Valley's Wilmington Airport (ILG), Central Florida's Lakeland International Airport (LAL), and Charlotte's Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA). The carrier does not operate flights on Tuesdays from McKinney.

Initial service and airport readiness

Avelo's inaugural flights from DTX launch in November 2026 to leisure destinations in Florida and Las Vegas. Initial service will be to Las Vegas and four Florida airports: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. The first commercial flight from McKinney National Airport is scheduled for November 11, with specific inaugural flights to Fort Myers on Nov. 11, Las Vegas and Orlando on Nov. 12, and Tampa and Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 19.

This coincides with the opening of the new passenger terminal. McKinney National Airport commercial passenger terminal construction is on time to open on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2026. The FAA has issued the Part 139 operating certificate for the airport, enabling regular commercial service. This certificate is the first granted to a Texas airport since 2005.

Market context and strategy

Avelo’s route selections reflect a focus on leisure-heavy markets. Denver is described as a gateway to ski markets, while New Orleans and Nashville appear on the list of markets with bookings made more than 90 days in advance. Denver also shows a fair number of such advance bookings. Phoenix is noted as a surprise omission from that advance booking list.

The inclusion of Atlanta does not fit the leisure-heavy market pattern as clearly as other destinations. Its addition may be a test or based on undisclosed factors. The four largest markets in the Dallas Metroplex are not receiving service in this round. New York City is not being served due to Avelo’s inability to serve secondary airports in that destination market.

Economic impact and customer offering

The expansion is expected to generate more than 100 jobs at DTX, including pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians, and airport ground handling and customer service personnel. Promotional one-way fares for the new routes start at $99 and include a checked bag.

City of McKinney Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton commented on Avelo's positive economic impact. CEO Andrew Levy referenced the response from North Texas, bookings, low fares, ease of using DTX, on-time performance, and growth in Collin County. The decision to base the third aircraft at McKinney was reportedly always the plan. Future growth will be evaluated after the first flight departs from DTX.