McKinney National Airport recently announced its lineup of forthcoming development initiatives to solidify its status for pilots, corporate aviation and business travel. During 2024, the airport will be beginning and completing a number of projects aimed at improving travel and creating more opportunities for further development.
"We are thrilled to witness the rapid growth of McKinney National Airport in recent years, and we are excited about our future of air travel and development in the region,” Director of McKinney National Airport Ken Carley said in an official statement. “As we continue to expand and improve our facilities and services and shift our focus to development on the east side of the airport, we are confident our airport will bring significant economic benefits, including increased job opportunities, new businesses and enhanced quality of life for our community.”
According to the city of McKinney, construction will begin on the new 40,000-square-foot corporate hangar 10 in early spring. Additional corporate hangars will begin construction for major corporations with fleets based at the airport. Also this spring, construction will begin on a U.S. customs facility that will receive international arrivals to the airport.
Construction will also commence this year for a 500-foot extension to the northern segment of the runway and Taxiway B. This extension is expected to heighten safety measures, improve operations for existing tenants and increase appeal for potential operators in the region. This summer, construction will also kick off to enlarge the aircraft apron and uphold the pavement quality of Taxiway A. Additionally, a taxiway connector project will pave the way for approximately 11 acres of aeronautical development on the airport's western side.
Cirrus Aircraft remains ongoing with the construction of its new 45,000-square-foot facility, comprising an administrative building alongside two hangars. This privately funded endeavor, totaling $14.5 million in capital improvements, aims to bolster its presence at the airport, encompassing flight training, factory service and aircraft management.
The airport has not announced how long these projects are expected to take.
As Local Profile previously reported, the need for an additional major airport in North Texas is evident, and city officials hoped to increase the airport’s traffic. McKinney City Council previously voted in favor of the bond election for the project, which put the item on the 2023 ballot and later failed.
Yet voters pushed back on a $300 million terminal for the airport. Based on the numbers shared by Collin County, the bond item received a majority of "against" votes, with 58.69% (12,822 votes) of voters opposing the bond proposal. Only 9,024 voters supported the bond.
