Dallas is about to get a third commercial airport, and budget carrier Avelo is wasting no time filling it with routes. McKinney National Airport (DTX), in the fast-growing northeast corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, has never had scheduled passenger service — but that changes on November 11, when Avelo launches the first flights.

The airline had already announced five launch routes from DTX: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando and Tampa. Now it has layered on four more, all starting in mid-December. Flights to Atlanta and Denver begin December 16, running four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Nashville and New Orleans follow on December 17, each twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. Denver is a genuinely new city on Avelo's map.

The pieces have fallen into place quickly. The Federal Aviation Administration handed DTX its commercial operating certificate on September 26, the final green light needed before airlines could sell tickets. Avelo plans to base three Boeing 737-800s — 186 seats each — at the airport by December.

For now, Avelo is going it alone. No other airline has committed to DTX, which sits roughly 35 miles from both Dallas Fort Worth International (American's mega-hub) and Love Field (Southwest's home turf). That distance is the whole point: McKinney residents and anyone in Collin County currently face a long drive to catch a flight, and Avelo is betting they'd rather hop in the car for ten minutes than battle Dallas traffic.

Why should a traveller care? If you live north or east of Dallas, this is a genuinely convenient new option for getting to Florida beaches, Las Vegas, the Rockies or Music City — often at ultra-low fares. If you're heading the other way, into Dallas for work or a Texan road trip, the new service adds a quieter alternative entry point to a metro area that already handles enormous volumes through DFW and Love Field.

The route list also hints at Avelo's playbook: leisure-heavy, point-to-point flying on secondary airports. Denver and Atlanta aside, most of these are sun-and-fun markets. Expect simple, no-frills service — check the fine print on baggage and seat selection before you book, as with any ultra-low-cost carrier.

Details via The Points Guy.