The inaugural flight, a Boeing 737 bound for Fort Myers, Florida, was scheduled to depart at 9 a.m. The same aircraft was expected to return, arriving at the DTX terminal at 3:22 p.m. with the airport's first inbound commercial passengers.

Avelo is launching with nonstop service from McKinney to Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas. In December, the airline plans to add Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville, Sarasota-Bradenton and West Palm Beach, bringing the total to 11 destinations.

The expansion makes McKinney National Airport Avelo's fifth main base, joining New Haven, Connecticut; Concord, North Carolina; Wilmington, Delaware; and Lakeland, Florida. Before Wednesday, Avelo operated only one route from North Texas, connecting Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with New Haven twice weekly.

Avelo, which launched in April 2021, has built its business around leisure travel and secondary airports that are typically less crowded than major hubs. The airline is headquartered in Houston but operates just one route from there, also to New Haven.

The company drew controversy last year when it began operating deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Avelo said at the time that it agreed to the arrangement to ensure financial stability. The agreement ended in January after the company said the work did not "deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs."

For McKinney and the surrounding Collin County area, the start of commercial service represents a significant shift in local transportation options, offering residents a closer alternative to DFW International Airport for domestic leisure travel. The arrival of scheduled flights also raises questions about the airport's growth trajectory and how the community will manage increased traffic and noise as service expands in the coming weeks.