Opportunity is Taking Off
in North Texas
Exciting things are happening at McKinney National Airport (TKI). TKI has served as a general aviation airport for over 40 years and is now transitioning to deliver commercial air service in support of the growing population and ongoing business investment in the North Texas region.
Regional Growth
McKinney, Texas, on the leading edge of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, continues to evolve. The City of McKinney has over 225,000 residents and welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually; Collin County is home to approximately 1.2 million people, and new business investment continues to thrive in our region. For years, the McKinney City Council has been planning to accommodate this growth across many different city departments—including the airport.
Fly Smart. Fly Local.
McKinney city and airport leaders will soon break ground on a four-gate terminal building—with the ability to expand to six gates—in support of airline service that is anticipated to launch at TKI in late 2026. With this facility and nonstop passenger flights, North Texas residents, businesses, and visitors will have more options to travel to and from the region, saving them time, money, and hassle.
Economic Impact
TKI generates more than $299 million annually to the City of McKinney and surrounding region, according to an economic impact report published in 2024. With continued investment at TKI, including the passenger terminal and commercial air service, economic output is expected to increase by an additional $400 million, for a total of more than $700 million annually, demonstrating the airport’s important role in supporting local careers, tourism, and ongoing economic development.
Skip the Drive & Hassle. Fly TKI.
A new passenger terminal for TKI means more opportunity for all who live, work, and visit our community. Departing from TKI will allow travelers to skip the drive and hassle associated with the other two airports in the region, and enjoy more time with family and friends. Dallas-based architect Corgan’s designs for TKI’s street-level terminal, to be constructed on the east side of the airport, include a modern, efficient, and accessible facility that our community and visitors will be proud to use.
A Groundbreaking Opportunity for Our Region
With funding secured for the new terminal and expressed interest by airlines to launch service at TKI, McKinney airport staff are preparing to break ground on a passenger facility that will serve our community’s current and future air service needs.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2025, with the terminal’s public dedication anticipated in late 2026.
FlyTKI News
Stay current with news and updates about TKI’s new passenger terminal and launch of airline service at the City of McKinney’s news room.
TKI FAQ
You have questions about the new terminal building and commercial air service coming to TKI, and we have answers. See below for responses to commonly asked questions about how TKI is evolving to meet our community’s air travel needs.
If your question isn’t answered on this page, please let us know on the Contact Us page and we’ll be happy to provide more information.
1) Who oversees McKinney National Airport (TKI)?
TKI, located in North Texas about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, is overseen by the McKinney City Council. The Council has identified the airport as an area for economic development for many years. While Council members may have changed over the years, their commitment to TKI’s growth has remained steady.
Is there need or demand for an additional commercial service airport in North Texas?
McKinney is a city of over 225,000 residents with more than 400,000 annual visitors in a county of approximately 1.2 million people, all of which continue to grow. In fact, over half a million people have moved to North Texas since 2020. Our region is on the leading edge of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. For more than a decade, the McKinney City Council has been planning to accommodate this growth across many different city departments—including the airport.
The growing population and continued business investment in the region is guiding the need to bring commercial airline flights and build a passenger terminal and other supporting facilities at TKI.
Airlines are eager to bring service to TKI as they recognize community members need affordable flights without the long drive to the two other airports in the region.
Voters did not pass a $200 million general obligation bond proposition to fund a new passenger terminal for TKI in the McKinney 2023 General Election. Why is the city and airport continuing to pursue this project?
City leaders have worked hard to identify funding for a new passenger terminal not backed by property taxes and to control construction costs. This is in response to McKinney voters not passing a proposal in 2023 for $200 million in bonds backed by public funding. We heard our voters, and found another way forward to bring important air service to North Texas.
Maximizing the development of TKI is one of the McKinney City Council’s six strategic goals. McKinney council members understand that: 1) the population and business growth in the region is moving further north; 2) good, responsible airport development takes time to design, build, and fund; 3) residents and business owners are experiencing long drive times and high air fares with the two commercial service airports in the region.
The City of McKinney has pursued attracting airline service and building a new terminal to support passenger flights since 2019. City and airport leaders continue to pursue these goals and deliver quality, convenient, and affordable air service for current and future residents and businesses from their local airport.
Which airlines plan to serve TKI and where will they fly?
The airport team has been in discussions with airlines that are interested in providing nonstop flights from TKI since 2019.
Airlines are eager to bring service to McKinney as they recognize community members need affordable flights without the long drive to the two other airports in the region. However, their passengers require a terminal building—which we plan to break ground on in June 2025—to have a comfortable and welcoming departure and arrival experience.
City of McKinney and airport staff can’t comment on any ongoing negotiation and will refrain from sharing more until we’re able to do so. The City is proud to be as transparent about the process as possible, and we will keep the community updated as progress is made.
We encourage you to visit the FlyTKI.com Contact Us page and share which nonstop destinations you would like to fly to from TKI.
What are some features of the new terminal building?
The terminal project, to be constructed on the east side of the airport, is being designed to initially serve 200,000 passengers annually, with expanded flexibility to serve over one million travelers each year.
Features of the modern, efficient, and accessible passenger facility will include:
- A 46,000-square-foot terminal, initially with four gates and the ability to expand to six gates
- Centralized food and beverage concessions, including quick-service choices
- Spacious, open hold rooms for passenger comfort and convenience
- Aircraft ramp to park four commercial service aircraft, and expand to six spaces
- The new Taxiway C for airfield operational efficiency
- A 980-space public parking lot, which can grow to 1,450 spaces, with a dedicated access road off FM546
- Onsite car rental facilities
- A de-icing area for winter weather operations
- Essential utilities and infrastructure to ensure smooth operations
How is the new terminal being funded and how will ongoing operational costs be covered?
The passenger terminal is being funded through various sources, including:
- Sales tax revenue bonds from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and the McKinney Community Development Corporation
- The City of McKinney’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) 2 funding and waste/wastewater funds
- Federal low-interest transportation and infrastructure loans, and
- Federal and state funding
- Airport revenues
As TKI transitions to a FAA-certificated commercial service airport, it will have access to the following to support ongoing operational costs:
- A significant increase in federal grants for certain safety and security facilities and equipment
- Passenger facility charges, which is a user fee that passengers pay and airlines collect in their ticket price to fund the upkeep and maintenance of the airport
TKI will also generate operating revenues from:
- Food and beverage concessions revenues
- Rental car concessions fees
- Public parking revenues
- Airline use fees
- Airline and other user terminal rental fees
An overall benefit of the terminal project is its significant economic impact for the City of McKinney and the surrounding region, through jobs created, increased tourism, and elevated economic development.
When will groundbreaking occur for the new terminal building?
McKinney city and airport officials and partners plan to break ground on the passenger terminal in June 2025, with project completion expected in late 2026.
When will airline service begin at TKI?
Passenger flights are expected to begin after the terminal opens in late 2026. City and airport staff welcome nonstop service from TKI, and the many benefits this investment will bring to residents and businesses in the region.
How can I apply for a position working for the airport or for the future airline and other passenger service partners?
Thanks for considering TKI for the next step in your career.
– For City of McKinney open positions, including at the airport, please visit the city’s career page: McKinneyTexas.org/jobs
– For future airline, concessions, parking, and other passenger service support roles at TKI, please continue to check FlyTKI.com for future links to our partners’ hiring pages. We anticipate this information will become available in late 2026, which is when our new terminal building will be nearing completion and our partner airline(s) will have been announced.
Wishing you all the best in your job search.
We are a construction-related company with expertise in working at airports. Who do we contact to share our interest in helping build TKI’s new terminal and support facilities?
Thanks for inquiring about subcontractor opportunities for our new terminal and its related infrastructure.
We invite you to contact Swinerton, our Construction Manager at Risk for the terminal and support facilities, to learn about subcontracting support and to share interest in providing your expertise. You can email the Swinerton team at [email protected]
We appreciate your interest in being a part of helping opportunity take off in North Texas.
What’s the history behind TKI’s name and three-letter identifier?
TKI has gone through a few name changes over the years to honor the memory of Collin McKinney, a prominent person in early Texan history. Originally named McKinney Municipal Airport, then Collin County Regional Airport, it was renamed McKinney National Airport in 2013. It is generally understood that TKI’s three-letter identifier derives from (T)exas Mc(KI)nney.
Airport Leadership
It takes a team to manage TKI and its future development, and ensure our users and employees are operating and working in a safe, secure, and efficient environment.
Meet the leadership team behind our successful airport.
Kenneth Carley, A.A.E.
Airport Director
Kenneth Carley joined the City of McKinney as Director of the McKinney National Airport (TKI) in 2018. Since that time, Kenneth has led the airport team in attracting airline interest in serving TKI; approving a site plan and securing grant funding for a new, modern passenger terminal; overseeing a new economic impact study for TKI, published in 2024; and constructing $140 million in capital improvement projects, including: the state-of-the-art McKinney Air Center; a U.S. Customs facility; runway extensions; taxiway upgrades; aircraft parking expansion; and building new aircraft hangars, all in support of general aviation operations.
Prior to TKI, Kenneth served in leadership roles at Quad Cities International Airport in Illinois, and Ohio University Airport and Rickenbacker International Airport in Ohio.
Kenneth is an accredited member of the American Association of Airport Executives, and received an MBA from Ohio University and a bachelor’s degrees in Aviation Management from The Ohio State University.
Jeff Patterson, C.M., ACE
Airport Operations Manager
Jeff Patterson joined McKinney National Airport as the Airport Operations/Maintenance Manager in 2018. He has over a decade of experience in multiple aspects of the aviation industry, including operations, maintenance, ARFF, security, and law enforcement.
Along with aviation, Jeff has 30+ years of experience in public safety. He served as the Public Safety Manager for the Quad Cities International Airport in Illinois between 2014 and 2018. Jeff is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and completed AAAE’s Airport Certified Employee-Security course. He has a Part 107 Pilot License.
Prior to his airport experience, Jeff was with the Illinois State Police for 28 years, retiring at the rank of Major (Region Commander) in 2013. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University.
Contact Us
We’d love to hear your feedback about TKI’s plans to bring quality, convenient, and affordable air service to North Texas. Whether you’re a member of our community, a journalist who has questions about our development plans, or you want to connect with the airport team about construction to support future passenger flights, this is the place to leave a question or comment.