"Service Expansions Help Milwaukee Airport Near Travel Record in July"

Thursday, September 4, 2003

Service Expansions Help Milwaukee Airport Near Travel Record in July
The Milwaukee (WI) Journal Sentinel


Low airfares and additional airline service helped boost passenger traffic
at General Mitchell Airport to a near record in July, airport officials said
Wednesday.

With 561,200 passengers, July was the third busiest month in Mitchell's
history. The busiest month was March 2000 when the airport had 575,922
passengers.

Airport passenger traffic for the first seven months of 2003 was up nearly 6
percent from the same period in 2002. August figures will be available in
late September.

"If the trend continues, we will be very close to having a record year,"
said airport director Barry Bateman.

Four airlines -- Midwest, Northwest, Delta and AirTran -- have announced
expansions or new types of service in Milwaukee in the last six months.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines started service here last weekend.

Rock-bottom airfares also stimulated travel in July, especially from
vacationers, according to Bateman.

"Leisure travelers are discretionary travelers, and they are low-fare
hunters," he said.

Travelers also have seen Mitchell as a more desirable airport to reach both
East and West coasts, compared with previous years when they might have
flown from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, Bateman added.

In July, Northwest Airlines started non-stop service from Milwaukee to
Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Fla.; and Washington,
D.C.

Delta Connection added a sixth flight between Milwaukee and its hub in
Atlanta.

In August, Midwest Airlines started its Saver Service which now offers
flights between Milwaukee and Denver, Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix. In
October, Midwest starts service to Orange County Calif., about 35 miles from
Los Angeles and an alternative to Los Angeles International Airport.

Soon, it will be necessary to do remodeling at Mitchell Airport to
accommodate a steady increase in passenger traffic, according to Bateman.
Baggage screening equipment near the downstairs ticket counters should be
moved.

"From a planner's standpoint we are very near capacity, particularly in the
ticketing and baggage handling areas," Bateman said.

Some airport improvement projects are being held until it's more certain
what will come from the competition between airlines, according to Bateman.

"From a prudent standpoint, we are not adding a lot of capacity until the
airline industry gets healthy again," he said.

Airlines pay for capital improvements at the county-owned airport and want
to be sure they're not taking on more than they can handle, said County
Executive Scott Walker.

Nationwide, the number of air travelers in July was down 1 percent,
according to Bateman. The number of passengers January through July was down
3 percent compared with the same period a year earlier.

Passenger traffic in Chicago, St. Louis and Dallas was especially down,
Bateman said.


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