Development · Valley-wide
Avelo Airlines will grow its new Las Vegas to McKinney, Texas, route to six weekly flights in December, before service even begins
Avelo Airlines says strong demand is pushing it to expand its planned Harry Reid to McKinney National Airport route from four to six weekly flights starting Dec. 16, weeks after service begins Nov. 12.
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What happened
Avelo Airlines is a small ultra-low-cost carrier based in Houston. It plans to add flights on its new route between Las Vegas and the Dallas area before the first plane takes off, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The airline announced Thursday that service between Harry Reid International Airport and McKinney National Airport, north of Dallas, will grow to six flights a week in December.
The route has not started yet. In June, Avelo said it would return to Las Vegas with four weekly flights to McKinney beginning Nov. 12, according to the Review-Journal.
The new schedule
Launch in November
Under the plan Avelo announced in June, the Las Vegas to McKinney route opens Nov. 12 with four flights a week. Passengers can expect that schedule for the first weeks of service.
Expansion on Dec. 16
Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy said the route will expand on Dec. 16. From then on, flights will run every day of the week except Tuesday, which brings the route to six weekly flights for the holiday season, the Review-Journal reported.
Why the airline says it is adding flights
Levy pointed to demand. "Demand between Las Vegas and North Texas has been strong, so we're adding more flights," he said in a release quoted by the Review-Journal.
In the same release, Levy said the extra flights give Las Vegas travelers more ways to reach McKinney and the North Dallas region. He listed holiday family visits, a Cowboys game and business travel as reasons people might go. He also promoted the airline's low fares and the small size and convenience of McKinney National Airport as a way to skip the big-airport hassle on the Texas end of the trip.
Levy also called the carrier's on-time performance industry-leading. That description comes from the company's own release.
About Avelo and the Texas airport
A returning carrier
Avelo began flying in 2021 but closed its West Coast operations in 2025, the Review-Journal reported. The McKinney route marks the airline's return to Las Vegas. Levy is a former Allegiant Air executive.
Fleet and future planes
Avelo flies a fleet of 16 twin-engine Boeing 737 jets, according to the Review-Journal. It also has 50 twin-engine Embraer 195 jets on order. The first of those deliveries are expected in 2028.
McKinney National Airport
McKinney National Airport is about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, the Review-Journal reported. It serves as a reliever airport for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field.
What it means for Las Vegas travelers
Starting in mid-December, Las Vegas travelers headed to North Texas will have six weekly flights on this route instead of four. The flights will depart from Harry Reid International Airport and land at the smaller McKinney airport rather than the major Dallas hubs.
Readers following changes at the valley's main airport can also see our earlier coverage of Harry Reid's modernization plan. Other business and growth stories are collected in our development section.
What to watch next
- Avelo's first Las Vegas to McKinney flights are scheduled to begin Nov. 12, with four flights a week.
- The route is set to expand to six weekly flights on Dec. 16, running every day except Tuesday.
- Avelo expects the first deliveries of its 50 Embraer 195 jets on order in 2028.
