The Houston-based carrier Avelo Airlines is opening a base at McKinney National Airport in 2026, according to a news release.

What’s happening: Avelo Airlines announced the new base would open in late 2026 as carrier officials look to close bases in other parts of the U.S., according to the news release. The changes enable the carrier to “focus on sustainably scaling five core bases in 2026 and to prepare the company for growth in the coming years,” the news release states.

Quote of note: The announcement comes weeks after Avelo Airlines signed an agreement to provide commercial service at McKinney National Airport. Courtney Goff, communications manager at Avelo, said officials are not yet sharing specifics for future base operations at McKinney National Airport.

“McKinney was chosen as it fits well into our strategy of using secondary areas in large-metro areas,” Goff said in an email. “The team at [McKinney National Airport] and the city have been great partners as we work to open operations later this year.”

India Bazaar recently opened in south McKinney, a company representative said.

What they offer: The business sells grain market products, spices, fresh produce, snacks, organic items, festival items, religious items and more, the representative said.

• 6701 Collin McKinney Parkway, McKinney

A second Take 5 Oil Change store recently opened in McKinney, Shop Manager Michael Varrassi said.

Zooming in: The automotive maintenance company, which was founded in 1984 in Louisiana, offers stay-in-your-car oil changes, windshield wiper replacement and more.

• 12121 W. University Drive, McKinney

The Dallas-Fort Worth retail market’s occupancy rate climbed again in 2025, according to Texas-based real estate firm Weitzman’s latest annual forecast.

The full story: Dallas-Fort Worth finished 2025 with a retail occupancy of 95.3%, an increase to the record occupancy first reported in 2023. Executive Managing Director Bob Young called it a “retail three-peat.”

“For the first time in our [survey’s 36-year history], three years in a row, occupancy has been at record levels,” he said. “Right now, we’re celebrating the market’s highest-ever occupancy of 95.3%.”

More information: Occupancy wasn’t the only measurement that increased since last year’s report. Total inventory increased to 202 million square feet and new construction increased to 2.4 million square feet delivered, according to the retail market report. Vacant space fell to 9.5 million square feet from 9.7 million square feet in 2024.

Grocery store anchors such as H-E-B, Kroger and Target accounted for more than 1.9 million square feet of all new space delivered, Young said. That trend is expected to continue in 2026.

See five transportation projects happening around Dallas Fort Worth. 

Collin County

Lebanon Road widening in Frisco

Project: Lebanon Road will be widened from a four-lane roadway to a six-lane divided roadway from FM 423 to Todd Drive. Improvements include pavement reconstruction, bridge repair, drainage improvements and street light replacement, among others.

Update: Construction was anticipated to begin in December 2025.

Timeline: October 2025-late 2027

Cost: $22.99 million

Funding sources: city of Frisco, external funding

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area