The project to bring commercial flights to the McKinney Airport has been in the works for years, and the terminal expansion project took a step forward this week.
MCKINNEY, Texas — Plans to make McKinney National Airport into a hub offering commercial flights are moving forward.
McKinney’s planning and zoning committee approved plans Tuesday to expand the airport, including by adding a 45,000-plus-square-foot terminal on the east side of the existing runway starting with three gates initially with the potential to expand up to five, parking areas, a taxiway, and more.
By comparison, Dallas Love Field airport has 20 gates, and DFW Airport has about 170 gates.
The project is estimated to cost up to $72 million and be funded by a combination of federal loans, grant funding from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and McKinney Community Development Corporation.
City officials say they’re still working to secure more federal and state grant funding.
Once the airport opens, it’s expected to support 200,000 passengers in its first year, with an average of three daily departures, increasing to about 1 million passengers annually in five years.
“Maximizing the commercial value of McKinney National Airport has long been a priority of the City of McKinney and City Council, and this demonstrates their commitment to helping the airport realize its full potential as an asset to the region. As we continue to expand and improve our facilities and services on the east side, we are confident our airport will bring significant economic benefits, including increased job opportunities, new businesses, and enhanced quality of life for our community,” said Ken Carley, Director of McKinney National Airport when the McKinney City Council supported the site plan earlier this month.
Not everyone is ready for the McKinney airport to take flight, though. Some at the planning and zoning commission meeting Tuesday said they were concerned about the project.
In 2023, as our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal previously reported, voters rejected a $200 million bond proposal to finance a large portion of the airport expansion project.
“Almost two years ago, a bond election for the airport failed. The mayor and council take the position that the citizens just didn’t want to fund it. However, they’re wrong,” resident Hank Johnston said. “Most were voting against passenger service.”
“The mayor and council therefore and this commission are ignoring the will of the people. All efforts need to stop until McKinney holds a yes or no vote on passenger service to get a clear direction on the will of the people,” Johnston added.
Commercial flights out of the McKinney airport are expected to begin in late 2026.