Southwest Airlines to begin Milwaukee flights Nov. 1

By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: May. 20, 2009 3:12 p.m.
Southwest Airlines Co. will offer around eight to 10 daily departures from Milwaukee when it begins service at Mitchell International Airport on Nov. 1, Chairman, President and CEO Gary Kelly said Wednesday afternoon.
Kelly made his comments during a teleconference following the morning announcement that Southwest, the nation's largest low-fare carrier, was adding Milwaukee to its system.
Kelly declined to elaborate on possible destinations. Airport industry consultants say Southwest likely will fly from Milwaukee to leisure destinations such as Florida, Phoenix and Las Vegas, as well as Southwest hubs such as Kansas City; Nashville, Tenn.; and Baltimore.
Kelly also said Southwest likely will have 35 to 45 ground-based employees at Mitchell.
Southwest's entry into Milwaukee likely will create more choices, and lower ticket prices, for area fliers, industry consultants said. It also brings another formidable competitor for Midwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, AirTran Airways and other carriers that fly from Mitchell.
Along with tapping into the Milwaukee area, service from Mitchell will help Southwest better serve the northern Chicago metropolitan area, Kelly said. Southwest serves Chicago from Midway Airport, on the city's south side. Kelly said Southwest will not fly from Milwaukee to Midway.
Midwest Airlines/Midwest Connect remains Mitchell's No. 1 carrier, with a 35.1% market share in March, according to airport data. Delta, which is integrating Northwest Airlines into its system, is No. 2, with 22.6% share. AirTran, another low-fare carrier, is No. 3, with 19.8% share.
A customer satisfaction survey, released Tuesday by the University of Michigan, rated Southwest with the highest score, 81 on a zero-to-100 scale. After Southwest, Continental Airlines scored 68; Delta, 64; American Airlines, 60; US Airways, 59; Northwest, 57; and United Airlines, 56. Midwest and AirTran were not included in the survey.