A business and general aviation airport in the Dallas, Texas area has received the green light to position itself for a larger role in regional transportation.The FAA announced on Sept. 24 that it has granted McKinney National Airport (TKI) a Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate, the certification that lets an airport host commercial passenger airline service. According to the FAA, McKinney is the first Texas airport to receive one since 2005.TKI serves business and general aviation traffic in the northern Dallas-Fort Worth region. That makes any operational change relevant to owners, operators and flight departments in the region.Avelo Airlines will begin service Nov. 11 to five destinations (Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa), with starts staggered through Nov. 19, according to the airline. On Sept. 24, Avelo announced Denver and Atlanta service starting Dec. 16 and New Orleans and Nashville service starting Dec. 17, along with a third Boeing 737 based at McKinney. The city says the new 46,000-square-foot terminal will open in November with four gates, expandable to six. The FAA states it has invested more than $9 million in taxiway and tower improvements at the airport.”The community around McKinney is growing rapidly, and accommodating commercial flights will provide the community with greater access to air travel options,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Dan Edwards. “We’re building a stronger National Airspace System, which means providing Texans with the modern, reliable local airports they need to stay connected.”The city says general aviation operations will continue under the TKI identifier, while airline flights will use DTX as its code.What Operators Need to KnowBusiness aviation operations do not exist in a vacuum. When a growing airport adds commercial-service capability, the effects often ripple through hangar markets, FBO operations, tenant demand and airport development plans. McKinney National’s new FAA certificate is best viewed as an infrastructure milestone as much as an airline story. For existing operators based at TKI, this new chapter brings increased traffic and infrastructure upgrades that will be coming hand in hand, for better or worse.
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