Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

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"Mitchell Field" redirects here. For the former air base in New York, see Mitchel Field.
General Mitchell International Airport
Mitchell Field
100px
General Mitchell International Airport - Wisconsin.jpg
2006 USGS Orthophoto
IATA: MKE – ICAO: KMKE – FAA LID: MKE
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Milwaukee County
Operator Milwaukee County Airport Department
Serves Milwaukee, WI.
Location 5300 South Howell Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 729 ft / 222 m
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Website www.MitchellAirport.com
Maps
File:MKE diagram.pdf
FAA airport diagram
KMKE is located in Wisconsin
KMKE
KMKE
Location of General Mitchell International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
01L/19R 9,990 3,045 Asphalt/Concrete
01R/19L 4,183 1,275 Asphalt/Concrete
07L/25R 4,800 1,463 Asphalt/Concrete
07R/25L 8,300 2,530 Asphalt/Concrete
13/31 5,535 1,687 Asphalt/Concrete
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 100 30 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Aircraft operations 113,248
Passengers 6,554,152
Sources: airport web site[2] and FAA[3]

General Mitchell International Airport (IATA: MKE, ICAO: KMKE, FAA LID: MKE) is a civil-military airport five miles (8 km) south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.[3]

It is named after United States Army Air Service General Billy Mitchell, who was raised in Milwaukee and is often regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Along with being the primary airport for Milwaukee, Mitchell International has sometimes been described as Chicago's third airport, as many travelers in the suburbs north of Chicago use it instead of Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports.[4] It is also used by travellers throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. An Amtrak railway station opened at the airport in 2005; the station is served by Amtrak's Hiawatha Service running between Chicago and Milwaukee several times daily. Since March 1941, the airport's weather station has been used as the official point for Milwaukee weather observations and records by the National Weather Service,[5] whose area office is located in Sullivan.

History

The original airfield was established in 1920 as Hamilton Airport by local business owner and aviator, Thomas Hamilton. Milwaukee County purchased the land on October 19, 1926, for the Milwaukee County Airport. The first airport terminal there, the Hirschbuehl Farmhouse, opened in July 1927. That month, Northwest Airlines, Inc., began air service from Milwaukee to Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul. In August 1927, world-renowned aviator Charles Lindbergh visited the Milwaukee airport. Kohler Aviation Corporation began providing passenger service across Lake Michigan on August 31, 1929. During the late depression years (from 1938 to July 1940), a new two-story passenger terminal building was constructed by the Works Progress Administration. On March 17, 1941 the airport was renamed General Mitchell Field after Milwaukee's military airpower advocate, Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell.[6] On January 4, 1945, Mitchell Field was leased to the War Department for use as a World War II prisoner-of-war camp. Over 3,000 prisoners and 250 enlisted men stayed at the work camp. Escaped German prisoners were often surprised to find a large German American population just beyond the fence.[7] The present terminal opened on July 20, 1955 and was designed by Leigh Fisher and Associates.[8] It was renovated and expanded in 1985, designed by Miller, Meier, Kenyon, Cooper Architects and Planners Inc.[9] The "hammerhead" section of the D concourse was added in 1990. On June 19, 1986 the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors renamed Mitchell Field to General Mitchell International Airport.[6]

The airport was formerly a hub for AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines. On December 28, 2014, the airport became a focus city for Southwest Airlines, after finalizing their merger with AirTran Airways.

The airport is owned and operated by Milwaukee County, but some Milwaukee business leaders and politicians have advocated privatization or leasing it to a third party for financial reasons.[10]

Awards and recognition

In October 2008 a Condé Nast Traveler poll ranked Milwaukee County's General Mitchell International Airport fourth in the nation using categories of Location and Access, Design, Customs and Baggage, Perceived Safety and Security, as well as Food, Shops and Amenities.[citation needed]

Expansion

Mitchell International has expanded the runway safety area on their runways after an accident on January 21, 2007, when Northwest Airlines Flight 1726 skidded off the runway after aborting takeoff. According to the FAA, most airports are encouraged to have a runway safety area no shorter than 1,000 feet (305 m), though many airports do not.

Construction of this runway safety area began at the end of summer 2009 and was completed in fall 2012.

There is also a "Master Plan" idea to increase terminal area by stretching the existing terminal (in some cases, to almost double the size) or begin construction of a separate terminal. Nearly all cases would involve major reconstruction on the airport itself, and would have a huge impact on the airport's traffic.[11] These plans were, however, drafted before Mitchell saw a significant reduction in carriers and flights. More recently, in 2012, there have been discussions of closing one concourse as a cost-cutting move.[12]

Facilities and operations

General Mitchell International Airport covers 2,180 acres (880 ha) and has five asphalt and concrete runways ranging from 4,183 to 9,990 ft (1,463 to 3,045 m). A helipad measuring 100 by 100 ft (30 x 30m) is on the south side of the airport property. The 07R/25L runway has an overpass with Wisconsin State Trunk Highway 38 (Howell Avenue locally) running underneath. In 2005 the airport had 219,114 aircraft operations, average 600 per day: 56% air taxi, 32% airline, 10% general aviation and 1% military.[3] The main building houses the Mitchell Gallery of Flight, a non-profit museum on the concession level, the usual retail outlets, including a small food court and a branch of Renaissance Books which is believed to be the world's first used book store in an airport.[13] An observation lot along the northern edge of the airport is open to the public and tower communications are rebroadcast using a low-power FM transmitter for visitors to tune in on their car radios. There is also a new lot on 6th Street, with a Wisconsin historical marker giving the airport's history.[14] In 2008, airport security jokingly designated an area in Concourse C following security checkpoint the "Recombobulation Area".[15]

Terminal

Interior of main terminal

General Mitchell International Airport has 48 gates and 40 jetbridges on three concourses in one terminal. All international arrivals lacking border preclearance must pass through the International Arrivals Building.

Concourse C Gates: C9-C12, C14-C15, C17-C25

Airlines: Aeromexico, Southwest Airlines, Sunwing Airlines

Concourse D Gates: D27-D30, D34, D36, D38-D39, D41-D49, D51-D56

Airlines: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, OneJet

Concourse E Gates: E60-E69

Airlines: Air Canada Express, United Express

Airlines and destinations

Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier at the airport.

Passenger

Airlines Destinations Concourse
Aeromexico Seasonal: Cancún, Cozumel C
Air Canada Express Toronto–Pearson E
Alaska Airlines
operated by SkyWest Airlines		 Seattle/Tacoma D
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix D
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia D
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York La-Guardia
Seasonal: Cancún, Orlando		 D
Delta Connection Boston, Nassau, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–LaGuardia
Seasonal: Orlando		 D
Frontier Airlines Atlanta (begins April 15, 2016), Dallas/Fort Worth (resumes April 14, 2016), Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia (begins June 2, 2016)[16]
Seasonal: Fort Myers		 D
OneJet
operated by Pentastar Aviation		 Indianapolis, Pittsburgh D
Southwest Airlines Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas–Love, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington–National
Seasonal: Cancún, Fort Myers, Montego Bay, Punta Cana		 C
Sunwing Airlines Seasonal: Puerto Vallarta C
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Cleveland, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark E

Cargo

Cargo Ramp – Mitchell International Airport
Airlines Destinations
AirNet Systems Chicago–Midway, Green Bay, St. Paul–Downtown
Berry Aviation Chicago–Executive
DHL
operated by Atlas Air		 Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul
FedEx Express Appleton, Indianapolis, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul
FedEx Feeder
operated by CSA Air		 Marquette, Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Rhinelander
Flight Line Chicago–Midway
Freight Runners Express Appleton, Bloomington/Normal, Dillon, Green Bay, Lake Delton, Madison, Rhinelander, Stevens Point, Wausau, Rochester (MN)
Martinaire Iron Mountain, Ironwood
Royal Air Freight Pontiac
UPS Airlines Louisville

Statistics

U.S. Department of Transportation data for 2nd Quarter 2010 showed that the average airfare out of Milwaukee dropped lower than the average at 93 other U.S. airports. Mitchell's average fare was $93 less than O'Hare's, $78 less than the nation's average and $10 less than Midway's. Out of the nation's top 100 airports, Mitchell was one of only three at which average 2nd Quarter airfares were lower in 2010 than in 2009.

Airports Council International reported that during the 2nd Quarter 2010, Mitchell was the third fastest-growing airport in the world, exceeded only by airports in Istanbul, Turkey and Moscow, Russia. Mitchell was the only U.S. airport among the top 30 fastest growing airports worldwide.[17]

The airport is owned and operated by Milwaukee County. Mitchell's 8 airlines offer over 200 daily departures. Over 30 airports are served nonstop or direct from Mitchell International. It is the largest airport in Wisconsin. The airport terminal is open 24 hours a day.[18]

Busiest domestic routes from MKE (Sep. 2014 – Aug. 2015) [19]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 411,000 Delta, Southwest
2 Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota 283,000 Delta, Southwest
3 Denver, Colorado 227,000 Frontier, Southwest, United
4 Chicago (O'Hare), Illinois 216,000 American, United
5 Phoenix, Arizona 188,000 Southwest, US Airways
6 Detroit, Michigan 172,000 Delta
7 New York (LaGuardia), New York 167,000 Delta, Southwest
8 Orlando, Florida 161,000 Delta, Frontier, Southwest
9 Las Vegas, Nevada 141,000 Frontier, Southwest
10 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 129,000 American
Busiest international routes from MKE (Jan. 2011 – Dec. 2011)
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Cancun, Mexico 55,000 Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Aeromexico
2 Montego Bay, Jamaica 23,000 Frontier, Southwest
3 Toronto (Pearson), Canada 22,000 Air Canada
4 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 7,000 Southwest

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at MKE, 1944 through 2014[20]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
2010 9,848,377 2000 6,076,628 1990 4,488,304 1980 3,295,509 1970 1,766,802 1960 752,079 1950 235,069
2009 7,935,124 1999 5,825,670 1989 4,308,295 1979 3,460,441 1969 1,711,777 1959 748,010 1949 225,312
2008 7,956,968 1998 5,535,921 1988 4,029,746 1978 2,991,750 1968 1,622,532 1958 683,803 1948 190,371
2007 7,712,535 1997 5,598,971 1987 3,570,340 1977 2,803,138 1967 1,378,394 1957 673,927 1947 187,672
2006 7,299,294 1996 5,452,645 1986 3,384,664 1976 2,556,720 1966 1,079,484 1956 580,657 1946 171,672
2005 7,268,000 1995 5,221,705 1985 3,062,954 1975 2,241,745 1965 966,070 1955 521,727 1945 105,058
2014 6,554,152 2004 6,661,105 1994 5,179,872 1984 2,573,239 1974 2,143,071 1964 847,958 1954 458,816 1944 37,442
2013 6,525,181 2003 6,142,124 1993 4,521,872 1983 2,923,641 1973 2,041,454 1963 777,382 1953 389,397
2012 7,515,070 2002 5,589,127 1992 4,422,089 1982 3,285,884 1972 1,917,252 1962 723,725 1952 322,180
2011 9,522,456 2001 5,600,060 1991 4,114,051 1981 3,117,883 1971 1,947,442 1961 683,503 1951 279,226

Military presence

The airport also hosts the General Mitchell Air National Guard Base on the eastern area of the airport property, home to the 128th Air Refueling Wing (128 ARW), an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit of the Wisconsin Air National Guard flying the KC-135R Stratotanker. The wing performs both Federal and State missions and consists of approximately 1000 Air National Guard personnel, both full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technicians (ART), as well as traditional part-time guardsmen, available for worldwide deployment in support of Air Mobility Command and combatant commander tasking. The wing also maintains a KC-135 flight simulator, providing training proficiency for its own crews, as well as other KC-135 flight crews in other air refueling wings and air mobility wings in the Regular U.S. Air Force, the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard.

Prior to 2007, a second military installation on the southwestern portion of the airport property was known as "General Mitchell Air Reserve Station" and was home to the 440th Airlift Wing (440 AW), an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) flying the C-130H Hercules. While based at General Mitchell ARS, the 440 AW numbered in excess of 1500 full-time AGR, ART and part-time traditional reservists. Pursuant to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 action, the 440 AW relocated to Pope AFB, North Carolina, in 2007 and the former AFRC facilities were turned over to the Air National Guard, resulting in the installation's renaming.

Ground transportation

The Milwaukee Airport Rail Station provides service to Milwaukee as well as Chicago.
  • Badger Coach has frequent trips between Mitchell Airport, Downtown Milwaukee, Madison, Johnson Creek and Goerkes Corners.[21]
  • Airport Connection has routes from the Airport to the Amtrak Station, the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station (MKA), parking lots, Sheboygan and the Fox Valley Area.[22]
  • Milwaukee County Transit System Green Line Metroexpress Bus offers service to downtown and north shore suburbs. Regular Route 80 also serves the Airport (to downtown and north side). Fare is $2.25 to anywhere in the county[23]
  • Amtrak has a station 3/4 of a mile from the airport and uses the Hiawatha Service.[24] Free shuttle buses go between the train station and the baggage claim.
  • Wisconsin Coach Lines, as Airport Express, operates frequently to O'Hare Airport (ORD) in Chicago and from Waukesha, Milwaukee (Downtown and the Amtrak/Greyhound Station), Racine and Kenosha.[25]
  • Lamers Bus Lines, as Lamers Connect, operates daily service to/from Wausau with stops in Milwaukee (Downtown Amtrak/Greyhound Station), Fond du Lac, Oshkosh (including a University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh stop), Appleton, Waupaca and Stevens Point (including a University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point stop).[26]

Incidents and accidents

  • On December 17, 1954, a Miller Brewing Company plane, a converted twin-engine Lockheed Ventura bound for Winnipeg on a Friday evening, had trouble with both engines and crashed shortly after takeoff from Mitchell Field.[27][28] All four on board were killed, which included company president Fred Miller and his oldest son, 20-year-old Fred, Jr.,[29] and the two company pilots, brothers Joseph and Paul Laird.[30][31]
  • On August 4, 1968, a Convair CV-580, flying as North Central Airlines flight 261, collided in mid-air with a privately owned Cessna 150. The Cessna cabin remained attached to the Convair's forward baggage compartment. The Convair made a safe emergency landing at Milwaukee. The three Cessna occupants were killed. The Cessna was on a VFR flight from Lombard, Illinois to Sheboygan County Memorial Airport in Sheboygan Falls. It was determined that the inability of the Convair 580 flight crew to detect the Cessna 150 visually in sufficient time to take evasive action, despite having been provided with three radar traffic advisories, caused the crash. Visual detection capabilities were reduced by the heavy accumulation of insect smears on the windows of the Convair. Visibility was further reduced by haze, smoke and sunglare, and by the inconspicuous colour and lack of relative motion of the Cessna.
  • On January 29, 1969, a Boeing KC-97, operated by the Wisconsin Air National Guard, crashed just short of the runway on final approach. The weather was foggy with a visibility of a half mile. Four of the eleven people onboard were killed and the plane was damaged beyond repair.[32]
  • On January 22, 1971, Northwest Airlines Flight 433 was hijacked after taking off from Milwaukee to Detroit, Michigan. The hijacker demanded to be taken to Algeria, but landed in Cuba.[33]
  • On September 6, 1985, Midwest Express Flight 105, Midwest's first and only fatal accident, crashed upon takeoff from Milwaukee. One of the airline's Douglas DC-9s crashed while taking off, bound for Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. According to NTSB reports, the crash was caused by improper pilot reaction when the plane's right engine failed due to stress corrosion cracking. The improper flight control inputs caused an uncommanded roll and accelerated stall. The 31 people on board died.[34]
  • On December 10, 1993, a Wisconsin Air National Guard KC-135 blew up on the ground. Six maintenance personnel died.
  • On August 31, 2005, a Midwest Airlines Boeing 717 bumped a weed spraying truck and damaged the plane's left wing. No one was hurt in the incident.
  • On January 21, 2007, a Northwest Airlines DC-9, Northwest Airlines Flight 1726 skidded 400 feet (120 m) off the end of a snowy runway at Milwaukee International Airport. The accident was due to an explosion in one of the engines, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff. The aircraft was headed for Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and was to continue on to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Amongst the 104 people aboard, only one back injury was reported.[35][36]
  • On January 23, 2007, two Freight Runners Express cargo planes collided and burned on a taxiway. Both pilots were able to escape without injury. The planes were a Cessna 402 and a Beech 99.[37] An NTSB investigation determined both pilots and air traffic control were at fault for the accident.
  • On June 4, 2007, a Cessna Citation II crashed after reporting a runaway trim tab. The pilot issued a distress signal within five minutes after taking off. The plane then crashed into Lake Michigan two miles (3 km) off shore. The plane was carrying an organ transplant team from the University of Michigan back to Willow Run Airport. There was a crew of two and four passengers aboard. All six died.
  • On November 13, 2007, a Midwest Connect flight from Milwaukee bound for Dayton was in a near-miss situation with a United Express jet heading to Chicago O'Hare International Airport from Greensboro while flying over northern Indiana. Air traffic controllers with Chicago Center directed the Midwest Connect flight to begin its descent while traveling head-on towards the United Express CRJ a few thousand feet below. The planes came as close as 1.3 miles (2.1 km) apart horizontally and 600 feet (183 m) vertically.[38] The Midwest Connect Dornier 328JET was just above the United Express aircraft and descending while they were closing in on each other. An audible TCAS alarm in the Midwest Connect cockpit alerted the pilots of the proximity, allowing them to pull up in time.
  • On April 22, 2008, a Chautauqua Airlines flight from St. Louis to Milwaukee experienced engine failure and landed safely at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. Of the 32 passengers on board, none were injured.
  • On September 12, 2008, at 7:13 PM, a Cirrus SR22 heading from Milwaukee bound for Lakeland Airport in Vilas County crashed half of a mile southwest of the airport. All three people on board died.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ↑ http://m.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/print-edition/2012/12/21/re-routed-diminished-airline-service.html?page=all&r=full
  2. ↑ General Mitchell International Airport, official web site
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 FAA Airport Master Record for MKE (Form 5010 PDF), effective December 20, 2007
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ [1]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ "The Challenge of Airport Bookselling", Publishers Weekly, July 13, 1984
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ RITA | BTS | Transtats. Transtats.bts.gov (2013). Retrieved on 10-15
  20. ↑ Enplaned and Deplaned Passengers. Retrieved on Apr 2, 2015.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (republished by Hall & Associates)
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

External links

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