McKinney Council Advances Airport Aviation Training Facility Proposal

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

McKINNEY — The McKinney City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to begin negotiations for a proposed aviation training facility at McKinney National Airport, advancing a partnership with Collin College as legal disputes over airport financing continue.

Council approved Item 26-0398 during its May 5 meeting, authorizing the city manager to negotiate a ground lease with the Collin County Community College District for aeronautical-use land at the airport.

The proposal involves about 13 acres that could eventually be used for aviation workforce training programs focused on aircraft mechanics and pilots.

Council members pulled the item from the consent agenda for separate discussion, with Mayor Bill Cox calling the collaboration with Collin College “really special.”

Aviation Training and Workforce Focus

Airport Director Ken Carley said the city and Collin College developed a letter of intent that could lead to a long-term ground lease for aviation education facilities at the airport.

“This letter of intent should lead us into negotiating a ground lease … that’ll support aviation programs for training for aircraft mechanics and pilots,” Carley said.

According to Carley, Collin College plans to include the project in its Phase Two capital plan, with construction potentially completed by 2030. He estimated the project at approximately $50 million to $60 million.

Carley also said the median national wage for aircraft mechanics and technicians is approximately $92,000 annually, while pilots average roughly $195,000 annually.

“You could see students with the realization of this project coming out of McKinney ISD high school, training in these programs here and actually working at this airport,” Carley said.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Geré Feltus said, “We’re seeing a lot of increased calls for programming for students that maybe don’t want to go to college path, at least not immediately, but they would like to have a lucrative career.”

Mayor Bill Cox also praised the partnership between Collin College and the airport.

“With the college and the tech campus and McKinney and the airport, it’s a great fit to further opportunities for people coming out of high school looking for training that may be different than other people’s training,” Cox said. “The opportunities there are limitless.”

Airport Debate Still Looms

While much of the discussion centered on workforce development and education, council members also acknowledged ongoing public debate surrounding commercial passenger service and future airport expansion.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Geré Feltus said the aviation training proposal could help integrate additional programming at the airport tied to aviation careers.

“As we’ve talked about commercial passenger service, there’s been a lot of concerns about the use of the property in terms of integrating more programming like this and kind of preparing the next generation to kind of take on careers in aviation,” Feltus said.

The council ultimately approved the lease negotiation item unanimously.

In a separate airport-related action, council also approved a contract with AeroCloud Systems Inc. for the airport’s commercial terminal common-use system as part of the consent agenda.

The AeroCloud item received no separate public discussion during the meeting.

Lawsuit Challenges Airport Financing

The airport votes come as McKinney continues facing legal challenges tied to airport expansion financing.

Earlier this year, the North Texas Conservation Association (NTCA), along with several residents and taxpayers, filed a lawsuit challenging approximately $30 million in McKinney Community Development Corporation revenue bonds connected to airport development.

In an email to TX3DNews, NTCA said the lawsuit raises concerns involving “transparency, financial compliance, and the broader community and environmental impacts tied to the project.”

The lawsuit argues the city improperly structured airport financing through sales tax-backed bonds after McKinney voters rejected airport-related bond propositions in both 2015 and 2023. The organization also argues the financing structure relies on sales tax revenues rather than airport-generated project revenue.

According to the petition, the proposed bonds are tied to airport improvements including “passenger terminal facilities and other airport facilities, streets and roads, taxiways, aprons, and other infrastructure related to the Airport.”

The lawsuit remains pending as McKinney continues moving forward with additional airport-related planning and development items. Court filings show the defendants submitted their original answer on April 17, but the case did not come up during Tuesday’s council session.

Looking Ahead

The council’s approval allows the city and Collin College to move into formal lease negotiations for the proposed aviation training facility, while separate airport infrastructure projects tied to future commercial passenger service continue moving through the planning process at McKinney National Airport.