Step aside DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field, there’s a new commercial airport coming to the Dallas area. The McKinney City Council has approved the site plan for a new, 48,000 square foot commercial terminal building at McKinney National Airport (TKI).
The city council approved the new terminal in a 5-2 vote which also includes a new taxiway on the east side of the airport runway, a new aircraft apron, parking, and a new roundabout to manage traffic heading to the terminal from FM 546.
According to the city, the terminal project is expected to cost $72 million and construction is expected to begin in May 2025. If everything goes as planned, the terminal will be operational in late 2026.
While the idea of a commercial airport in Collin County isn’t anything new, the FAA proposed building an airport in McKinney to provide air service to the fast growing, northern portions of the DFW metroplex. Local voters rejected the $50 million bond needed for the new airport, though what is now McKinney National Airport opened in 1979 as Collin County Regional Airport.
Though the new terminal has been approved by the city council, there in still a funding gap that will need to be closed. The city is looking to fill the $14.3 million gap through federal or state transportation funds or tax increment reinvestment zones.
The funding gap was one of the issues that led to Council Member Patrick Cloutier, who supports the airport’s expansion, to vote against expanding the airport. During the council meeting, he stated the following:
“I’m looking for partners, whether it’s an airline, whether it’s Goldman Sachs, whether it’s the FAA, whether it’s TxDOT, to come in here and help the McKinney taxpayer get this over the finish line, and I haven’t seen that yet.”
Despite his vote against expansion, Cloutier concedes that the airport expansion will happen as the population in North Dallas continues to grow. The commercial terminal is expected to open with four gates, supporting between four and 20 flights per day. By 2040, the airport could expand to 16 gates and up to 40 daily departures.
While McKinney National won’t become a global hub like DFW, it will provide a convenient option for passengers on the northeastern side of the DFW metroplex. It will also help provide relief for the two existing commercial airports in the area which are becoming increasingly constrained. Dallas Love Field is legally capped at 20 gates or less while DFW is racing to build more terminal space.
I can see the big three legacy carriers connecting TKI with hubs like Atlanta, Denver and Houston. It will be interesting to see how fast the airport is able to finish construction of the terminal and what the demand will be like.
Summary
McKinney National Airport (TKI) is preparing to become the third commercial airport in the DFW area. The proposed passenger terminal has been approved by the McKinney City Council and is expected to be completed in late 2026.
(Images courtesy McKinney National Airport and Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport)