MILWAUKEE (October 31, 2018) – Milwaukee County’s General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) continues to draw more travelers, as passenger traffic increased in September. Airport statistics show that 665,311 passengers used MKE in September, up four percent from September 2017. For the 3^rd quarter 2018, traffic was five percent higher than the same period two years ago.

The largest growth came from Southwest Airlines, which has added new nonstop service from MKE to Cleveland and Nashville, along with more flights to existing destinations like St. Louis and Seattle; Frontier Airlines, which added service this year to Austin, Raleigh-Durham and San Diego; and Alaska Airlines, which upgraded its Seattle flights to full-size Boeing 737s. New service from Allegiant also contributed to the healthy passenger growth.

“We have many airlines and destinations available from MKE, so there are plenty of opportunities for travelers to score a low fare on a nonstop flight,” Airport Director Brian Dranzik said. “MKE is trending upward for the year. We are on pace to exceed seven million total passengers in 2018, thanks to more travelers choosing our hometown airport.”

MKE offers nonstop flights to 47 destinations coast-to-coast, and 160 international destinations are available from Milwaukee with just one connection. MKE is also served by Air Canada, Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United and Volaris. The complete list of nonstop cities can be found at www.flymke.com. 

General Mitchell International Airport is owned by Milwaukee County and operated by the Department of Transportation, Airport Division, under the policy direction of the Milwaukee County Executive and the County Board of Supervisors. The airport is entirely funded by user fees; no property tax dollars are used for the airport’s capital improvements or for its day-to-day operation.