Southwest Airlines today announced its intent to begin service from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport (MKE) late this year. The carrier has not released specific service details, but said it will offer multiple destinations from the airport of choice for business and leisure travelers who work and live across the vibrant and growing region. The new Southwest service from MKE will commence after already-announced new service to New York LaGuardia (June 28) and Boston Logan (August 16).
“I am certain our more than 90 million annual Customers will be delighted to learn they will now be able to fly Southwest Airlines when their travels take them to Milwaukee. Likewise, I look forward to bringing our great, low fare service, and the nation’s largest airline network to our new friends in Milwaukee, which will also help better serve the Northern Chicago Area,“ said Gary Kelly, Southwest’s Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO, at Southwest Airlines’ Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Dallas.
“As we have previously announced, we essentially slowed our 2009 and 2010 fleet growth to zero. All of these new market opportunities are made possible without the addition of a single airplane by our continuous flight schedule optimization process,“ he said.
The Company plans to release more details of its future service from Milwaukee in the coming months.
"Southwest's arrival in Milwaukee will stimulate job growth, economic development, and give travelers more options they've been seeking," said Milwaukee Mitchell Airport Director Barry Bateman. “Southwest is already the dominant airline at Chicago Midway and will provide new service to the growing population of Northern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin, further solidifying Mitchell International as 'Chicago's Third Airport'.”
