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McAllen International Airport is in
McAllen McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits ext ...
, in
Hidalgo County, Texas Hidalgo County (; ) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat is Edinburg and the largest city is McAllen. The county is named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for Mexico's independence from Spain. ...
, United States. The
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...
for 2017–2021 categorized it as a small hub ''primary commercial service'' airport.


Runways

McAllen International Airport covers 370 acres (150 ha) at an elevation of 107 feet (33 m). It has two asphalt runways: 14/32 is 7,120 by 150 feet (2,170 x 46 m) and 18/36 is 2,639 by 60 feet (804 x 18 m). In November 2015 runway 13/31 was redesignated 14/32 and an EMAS, engineered materials arrestor system, was installed at the runway 14 approach end. In the updated 20-year Master Plan for MFE runway 14/32 will be extended to 10,000 ft and a parallel runway will be added. An expanded cargo apron will be on the south side of the airport. Runway 14/32 is the primary runway, used by all the airlines and most of the business flights. 3,000 feet will likely be added to Runway 14/32 to allow larger aircraft (Moultan, 2012). Runway 18/36 does not intersect Runway 14/32 so controllers can use both runways if needed. The departure end of Runway 18 is about 1/3 of the way down Runway 14/32, so traffic on final for Runway 36 must be cautious of traffic using Runway 14/32. Class D airports are airports that are less congested but they still have a control tower. This Class D airport has a simple layout and taxiways extend the full length of each runway (Foreflight, 2012). Both runways are asphalt and are in “Good Condition” (Foreflight, 2012). The terminal is easy for all traffic to reach from either runway, but aircraft on runway 14/32 have to cross runway 18/36 to reach the Fixed-Base Operator (FBO). The runways form a V. The terminal, tower, cargo facility, border patrol, and the U.S. Customs apron are all centrally located on the field, easy to access from either runway (Foreflight, 2012). On the west side of Runway 18/36, there are multiple hangars, the fixed based operator, and the fire station (Foreflight, 2012). In case of an accident on Runway 14/32, fire and rescue personnel would have to cross Runway 18/36, one possible issue of the layout at MFE.


Facilities

The airport has one terminal with six gates. In early 2006, Gate 5 opened on the main concourse due to the arrival of Delta Connection. In 2008 a terminal capacity study assessed the future needs of the airport and possible terminal expansion to include eight gates, larger ticketing/office area, TSA security area queue. Paid parking at the airport began on November 15, 2007 with the economy, long-term and short-term lots. A revised terminal expansion project with one additional gate, larger passenger waiting areas, expansion of the TSA screening areas, and other facility modifications began in March 2012. In the year ending October 31, 2018 the airport had 56,613 aircraft operations, an average 155 per day: 62%
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...
, 17% military, 15% commercial airline and 6%
air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...
. In December 2019, 105 aircraft were based at this airport: 49 single-engine, 21 multi-engine, 17 jet, 11
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribute ...
and 7 military.


Expansion

In March 2012 the airport underwent expansion, completed in 2014. Funding was combined from grants from the FAA and the TSA. The following are planned: *Addition of 52,000 square feet *Adding space for new explosives screening unit, bringing the total to three *Expanding the terminal and adding space for another gate *Adding space for the
Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
*Sterilizer and steam generator (required for some international flights) *Replacement of HVAC central plant equipment "The project includes construction of a one-story building addition of about 7,400 square feet at the west end of the terminal building for a checked baggage screening facility and expanded outbound
baggage handling system A baggage handling system (BHS) is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes. A BHS also transports checked baggage coming from airp ...
; renovation of about 11,200 square feet at the east end of the terminal building for public lobby improvements, expanded passenger security screening checkpoint, tenant office improvements, and concessions. It includes a two-story addition of about 33,000 square feet at the south end of the terminal building for aircraft boarding gates with passenger boarding bridges, passenger holdrooms, public lobbies, restrooms, concessions, airline operations, and mechanical and electrical equipment rooms; renovation of about 5,000 square feet at the south end of the terminal building for aircraft boarding gate and passenger holdroom improvements. It includes the replacement of HVAC central plant equipment and refurbishment of five existing passenger boarding bridges. Work includes replacement of portions of the aircraft apron as required for building construction, underground utilities work, and apron drainage, and pavement marking and striping for aircraft positions and service vehicle lanes.


Airlines and destinations

;Airlines
American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
and
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
summer 2015 timetables show main line jets to McAllen while their codesharing partners,
American Eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
(
Mesa Airlines Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air G ...
) and
United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged ...
(
Mesa Airlines Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air G ...
), flew regional jets. American operates
Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final asse ...
s while American Eagle flies Bombardier CRJ-900s. United flies
Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final asse ...
s,
Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fam ...
s,
Boeing 737-700 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
s and 737-900ERs with United Express flying Bombardier CRJ-700s, Embraer ERJ-135s, Embraer ERJ-145s and Embraer ERJ-175s.
Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
flights are
Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final asse ...
s.
Aeromar Transportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is a Mexican airline that operates scheduled domestic services in Mexico and international services to the United States, Guatemala, and Honduras. Its main base is Mexico City Internat ...
uses
ATR 42 The ATR 42 is a regional airliner produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, with final assembly in Toulouse, France. On 4 November 1981, the aircraft was launched with ATR, as a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now Airbus) and ...
s or
ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture forme ...
s to Mexico City. ;Destinations The following airlines operate scheduled passenger service from the airport:


Current and recent air service

MFE is the busiest airline airport in the
Rio Grande Valley The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...
. The airport is also served by two of the three global alliances,
Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's largest global airline alliance. Founded on 14 May 1997, its CEO is Jeffrey Goh and its headquarters is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. , Star Alliance is the largest of the three global alliances by passenger ...
and
Oneworld Oneworld (stylised as oneworld; CRS: *O) is an airline alliance founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance for the world's frequent international travellers. Its central alliance offic ...
. MFE lost its only international flight in September 2007 – a daily
Continental Express Continental Express was the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2012 at the time of the merger be ...
flight to Mexico City although Mexican air carrier
Aeromar Transportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is a Mexican airline that operates scheduled domestic services in Mexico and international services to the United States, Guatemala, and Honduras. Its main base is Mexico City Internat ...
currently operates nonstop service from the airport to the capital of Mexico. After less than one year it was announced that MFE would lose its only non-stop flight to Los Angeles (
LAX Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
), operated by
Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
partner
ExpressJet Airlines ExpressJet Airlines was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company originally operated as a contracted codeshare partner, flying under the American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express brands at various ...
, at the end of 2007; however,
Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
currently flies a seasonal nonstop McAllen to LAX with several flights a week. In December 2007 it was announced that Delta Connection would pull out of McAllen on January 6, 2008, ending its two flights a day from MFE to Atlanta, operated by Delta Connection partner
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) was a regional U.S. airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier on behalf of Delta Air Lines via a code sharing agreement and, as of ...
. In March 2009 Delta, through its wholly owned subsidiary
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
, began flying MFE to Memphis on
Northwest Airlink Northwest Airlink was the brand name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis. Service was primarily to small-to-medium- ...
partner Pinnacle Airlines.
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
had previously flown MFE to its Memphis hub starting in 2004. Following the completion of the merger of Northwest into Delta in 2010, the Memphis hub was eventually shut down although Delta continues to serve MEM. On September 7, 2010
Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
partner
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) was a regional U.S. airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier on behalf of Delta Air Lines via a code sharing agreement and, as of ...
(ASA) resumed service to MFE essentially taking over the non-stop MFE–
MEM Mem (also spelled Meem, Meme, or Mim) is the thirteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including Hebrew mēm , Aramaic Mem , Syriac mīm ܡ, Arabic mīm and Phoenician mēm . Its sound value is . The Phoenician letter gave rise to the Greek m ...
route from Pinnacle Airlines. On May 1, 2011, Delta Connection partner ASA began non-stop service from MFE to ATL and ended service from MFE to MEM (flights from MFE to ATL were then operated by
ExpressJet ExpressJet Airlines was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company originally operated as a contracted codeshare partner, flying under the American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express brands at various ...
following the merger of this regional airline with Atlantic Southeast). This route was discontinued on May 1, 2012. On May 24, 2009
Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
began bi-weekly, non-stop service to
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
(
LAX Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
), in addition to non-stop service to
Orlando Sanford International Airport Orlando Sanford International Airport is in Sanford, Florida, United States, near Orlando. It was built as Naval Air Station Sanford, a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance aircraft, and was used by the U.S. Navy until ...
(SFB) twice a week, and non-stop service to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) five times a week. On August 15, 2009, Allegiant announced that it would end service from MFE to LAX; Allegiant later reinstated service and flies non-stop to LAX seasonally in the summer months.


Past service

Trans-Texas Airways Trans-Texas may refer to: * Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC), a transportation network in the planning and early construction stages in the U.S. state of Texas * Trans-Texas Airways, a former a United States airline, known as Texas International Tex ...
(TTa) and successor
Texas International Airlines Texas International Airlines Inc. was a United States airline, known from 1940 until 1947 as Aviation Enterprises, until 1969 as Trans-Texas Airways (TTa), and as Texas International Airlines until 1982, when it merged with Continental Airlines. ...
(TI) served the airport for over 32 years and was the only air carrier to do so for many years. In 1949 Trans-Texas 21-seat
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper vers ...
s flew Brownsville - Harlingen - McAllen - Laredo - Carrizo Springs/Crystal City - Eagle Pass - Uvalde - San Antonio - Beeville - Victoria - Houston and back; TTa also flew direct to El Paso. In 1963 Trans-Texas flights to McAllen were all Convair 240s flying direct to Austin, Corpus Christi,
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of a ...
, Fort Worth (via now closed
Greater Southwest International Airport Greater Southwest International Airport , originally Amon Carter Field, was the commercial airport serving Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, from 1953 until 1974. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974 a few miles north to rep ...
), Houston, Laredo, Longview, TX, San Antonio, Shreveport, Tyler, TX and Victoria; In 1968 Convair 600s were on all TTa flights from the airport. Jets arrived in 1969; in 1970 Texas International
Douglas DC-9-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
s flew non-stop to Houston Intercontinental Airport and Corpus Christi and direct to
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of a ...
. In July 1970 TI was flying McAllen - Harlingen - Houston Intercontinental Airport - Dallas Love Field - Midland/Odessa - Roswell, NM - Albuquerque - Los Angeles, and Convair 600s flew non-stop to Houston and direct to Austin and San Antonio. In 1978 Texas International was all-jet with Douglas DC-9-10s and
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
s nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH) and San Antonio and direct to Albuquerque, Austin, Denver, Lafayette, LA, Lubbock and New Orleans.http://www.departedflights.com, March 15, 1978 Texas International timetable In 1980 TI flew nonstop DC-9s to
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Air ...
, Dallas Love Field, and Houston Intercontinental Airport.


International air service

On January 11, 2012, Mexican air carrier
Aeromar Transportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is a Mexican airline that operates scheduled domestic services in Mexico and international services to the United States, Guatemala, and Honduras. Its main base is Mexico City Internat ...
announced it would commence non-stop service to
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley ...
beginning in mid-March. Aeromar currently operates the only international non-stop service from the airport flying
ATR 42 The ATR 42 is a regional airliner produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, with final assembly in Toulouse, France. On 4 November 1981, the aircraft was launched with ATR, as a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now Airbus) and ...
or
ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture forme ...
turboprops on its Mexico City route. On March 18, 2021,
Aeromar Transportes Aeromar, S.A. de C.V, doing business as Aeromar, is a Mexican airline that operates scheduled domestic services in Mexico and international services to the United States, Guatemala, and Honduras. Its main base is Mexico City Internat ...
announced twice a week, non-stop service to
Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anc ...
initiating April 22, 2021.
Trans-Texas Airways Trans-Texas may refer to: * Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC), a transportation network in the planning and early construction stages in the U.S. state of Texas * Trans-Texas Airways, a former a United States airline, known as Texas International Tex ...
(TTa) began flights to
Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Gua ...
from the airport in 1967; in 1968 TTa had ten non-stop Convair 600s a week to
Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anc ...
and direct six days a week to
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
and
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
via Harlingen. In 1969 Trans-Texas changed its name to
Texas International Airlines Texas International Airlines Inc. was a United States airline, known from 1940 until 1947 as Aviation Enterprises, until 1969 as Trans-Texas Airways (TTa), and as Texas International Airlines until 1982, when it merged with Continental Airlines. ...
and in 1970 was flying daily
Douglas DC-9-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
s nonstop to Monterrey with a routing of
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of a ...
(DAL) - Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) - Harlingen - McAllen - Monterrey. In 1974 Texas International DC-9s were flying nonstop to Mexico City via a routing of Dallas/Fort Worth - Houston Intercontinental - Corpus Christi - McAllen - Mexico City but no longer flew non-stop to Monterrey. In 1975 Texas International was flying non-stop DC-9s from the airport to both Tampico and Veracruz twice a week with these flights continuing on to Mexico City and then non-stop from Mexico City back to McAllen. By the late 1970s, Texas International was no longer flying from the airport to Mexico although the airline was continuing to fly DC-9s non-stop to both Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1982 Texas International merged into
Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started o ...
and service to Mexico resumed. Texas International initially operated as an independent air carrier; the June 1, 1982 Continental (CO) / Texas International (TI) joint timetable lists non-stop DC-9s twice a day from the airport to Mexico City and non-stop DC-9s four times a week to
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadal ...
. By the end of 1983 Continental had pulled out of the airport. Continental returned to McAllen in the mid-1980s with nonstop DC-9s to Houston Intercontinental, and nonstop MD-80s to Mexico City by the mid 1990s. In the mid-2000s Continental had turned over its Mexico City flight to regional codesharing partner
Continental Express Continental Express was the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2012 at the time of the merger be ...
operated by
ExpressJet ExpressJet Airlines was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company originally operated as a contracted codeshare partner, flying under the American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express brands at various ...
, flying a daily Embraer ERJ-145 to MEX.Feb. 2007 OAG Flight Guide Worldwide This service ended later. McAllen was served by Aeromexico partner Aerolitoral via a codesharing agreement during the mid-1990s. In 1994 Aerolitoral was flying up to four non-stops a day to
Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anc ...
with
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
s continuing direct to Chihuahua,
Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fr ...
, San Luis Potosi,
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
or Villahermosa.Sept. 15, 1994 North American Edition, OAG Desktop Flight Guide


Past jet service

After merging with
Texas International Airlines Texas International Airlines Inc. was a United States airline, known from 1940 until 1947 as Aviation Enterprises, until 1969 as Trans-Texas Airways (TTa), and as Texas International Airlines until 1982, when it merged with Continental Airlines. ...
in 1982,
Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started o ...
began serving McAllen, mainly non-stop to its hub at Houston Intercontinental Airport. Continental flew
Boeing 727-100 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...
s,
727-200 The Boeing 727 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy Boeing 707, 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter f ...
s, 737-300s, 737-500s, 737-800s,
757-200 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its maid ...
s,
Douglas DC-9-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
s,
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
s and
MD-80 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gener ...
s to McAllen. Continental also flew one-stop direct service to Atlanta, Chicago (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Kansas City, Miami, New Orleans, Pensacola, Seattle and Tampa. In 1994 the airline was flying MD-80s direct to Anchorage, Alaska via Houston and Seattle. Continental merged with
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
in 2010. In 1982 Austin-based Emerald Air (United States) operated
Pan Am Express Pan Am Express was a brand name for a code sharing passenger feed service operated by other airlines on behalf of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). It was founded in the early 1980s, and lasted until the demise of Pan Am in 1991. History In ...
service in Texas via an agreement with
Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
and flew two
Douglas DC-9-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. Aft ...
flights a day to Houston Intercontinental Airport and San Antonio. By 1984 Emerald Air was serving McAllen independently with up to eleven departures a day, all DC-9s. Emerald was flying non-stop to Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Intercontinental, San Antonio and Corpus Christi and one-stop to Austin. This airline went out of business in 1985. Muse Air and successor TranStar Airlines served McAllen in the mid 1980s. In 1985, Houston-based Muse Air was operating up to five departures a day non-stop to its hub at Houston Hobby Airport with
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. After ...
s, all continuing direct to
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of a ...
. Muse Air was acquired by
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the ...
which changed the Muse Air name to TranStar, and continued independently with nonstop DC-9-50s to Houston Hobby and one-stop to Dallas Love Field. TranStar went out of business in 1987.
American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
began serving the airport about January 1991. In 1991 American had three daily
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gener ...
s to its Dallas/Fort Worth ( DFW) hub and by 1995 was flying four daily
Fokker 100 The Fokker 100 is a regional jet produced by Fokker in the Netherlands. The Fokker 100 is based on the Fokker F28 with a fuselage stretched by to seat up to 109 passengers, up from 85. It is powered by two newer Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, a ...
s to DFW. In 2007 American had up to four nonstop MD80s a day to Dallas/Fort Worth. AA had one-stop MD-80s to Atlanta, El Paso, Oakland, and Raleigh/Durham. American and regional affiliate
American Eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
continue to serve the airport.
Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
(
TWA Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
) also served McAllen. In 2001 TWA
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gener ...
s flew nonstop to Austin and one-stop to its St. Louis hub. By the end of 2001 Trans World Airlines had merged into
American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
.
Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
operated by
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) was a regional U.S. airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier on behalf of Delta Air Lines via a code sharing agreement and, as of ...
flew to Delta's Atlanta hub. In 2007 Delta Connection had two nonstops a day to ATL with Canadair CRJ-200s for
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...
in a codesharing agreement. This service ended in 2012 and Delta no longer serves McAllen. Prior to the merger of
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
with Delta in 2010, Northwest DC-9s flew nonstop to its Memphis hub in 2004, followed by
Northwest Airlink Northwest Airlink was the brand name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis. Service was primarily to small-to-medium- ...
nonstops to MEM on codesharing partner Pinnacle Airlines Canadair CRJ-200s in 2009.


Past commuter airlines

In the late 1970s Tejas Airlines flew
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
s nonstop to San Antonio. McAllen was served by Austin-based Conquest Airlines from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s; in 1989 it flew Beechcraft 1900Cs nonstop to San Antonio. By 1994 Conquest was flying nonstop to Austin, Laredo and San Antonio and one-stop to Tyler, TX, all on Metroliners.


Amenities

The McAllen Miller International Airport's food and beverage options include a Coffee Zone both pre- and post-security and the Comfort Zone bar post-security. In addition, the McAllen Airport offers complimentary
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
throughout the terminal. Post-security, the airport has a Classic Shoe Shine booth whose prices can be found on the airport's website. For shopping amenities, the airport has the Explore McAllen store post-security. In October 2010, a
CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
News Store was completed pre-security. In addition, Aeromar Airlines operates a '
Salón Aeromar
' which is available for use for all passengers flying on Aeromar as well as their guests. Amenities in the club include complimentary soft drinks, Wi-Fi, TV, and more. The airport has on-site and off-site rental car companies as well.


Cargo


Area airports

Nearby airports with passenger air service in south Texas include: * Valley International Airport (HRL) – Harlingen (40 miles) * Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) – Brownsville (63 miles) Two airports across the border have passenger service:
General Lucio Blanco International Airport General Lucio Blanco International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional General Lucio Blanco, ), also known as Reynosa International Airport (), is an international airport located in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, near the Mexico–United State ...
(REX) in
Reynosa Reynosa () is a border city in the northern part of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality. The city is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande in the international Reynosa–McAllen M ...
and General Servando Canales International Airport (MAM) in Matamoros.


References


External links


McAllen International Airport
official site
McAllen Miller International (MFE)
at
Texas DOT The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway syste ...
airport directory
Aerial image as of January 1995
from
USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
''
The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...
'' * * * {{Authority control Airports in Texas Buildings and structures in Hidalgo County, Texas Buildings and structures in McAllen, Texas McAllen, Texas Transportation in McAllen, Texas Transportation in Hidalgo County, Texas