Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is a civil-military airport 5 miles south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport covers and has five asphalt and concrete runways.
The airport is named in honor of United States Army 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 is also used by travelers throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. 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, 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 F. Hamilton. Milwaukee County purchased the land on October 19, 1926 and renamed the airport 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, 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 native and air power advocate Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell. 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.
The present terminal opened on July 20, 1955 and was designed by Leigh Fisher and Associates. It was renovated and expanded in 1985, designed by Miller, Meier, Kenyon, Cooper Architects and Planners Inc. The "hammerhead" section of the D concourse was added in 1990.
On June 19, 1986 the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors renamed the airport General Mitchell International Airport. The airport was formerly a hub for AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines. 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.
In February 2019, the airport was renamed from "General Mitchell International Airport" to "Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport," a rebranding meant to highlight the airport's location; the old name is still used by the FAA and US government.
Expansion
Mitchell International expanded the runway safety area at the end of the runways after an accident on January 21, 2007, when Northwest Airlines Flight 1726 skidded off the runway following an aborted takeoff. According to the FAA, most airports are encouraged to have a runway safety area no shorter than, though many airports do not. Construction of the runway safety areas began at the end of summer 2009 and was completed in fall 2012.There was also a "Master Plan" idea to increase the terminal area by stretching the existing terminal 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. These plans were, however, drafted before Mitchell saw a significant reduction in carriers and flights. More recently, in 2012, there were discussions of closing one concourse as a cost-cutting move.
The approved 2018 Milwaukee County Budget contains initial funding for replacement of the now-closed Concourse E with a new International Terminal. It will replace the current International Arrivals Terminal which has limited capacity and is not connected to the main terminal building. The new terminal is planned to open in 2020 after the demolition of Concourse E is completed. During October 2018, airport and Milwaukee County officials set a timeline for design, construction and completion of the new International terminal. Pre-design work and bidding concluded in November 2018, with construction set to begin in early 2021 and likely concluding in mid-2022. In May 2020, Milwaukee County announced that the start of the project would be postponed; a new start date is yet to be determined.
Facilities
Terminal
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has one terminal with two concourses and 38 gates. All international arrivals lacking border pre-clearance must pass through the International Arrivals Building.The terminal houses the Mitchell Gallery of Flight and a USO room on the concession level, along with 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. There are play areas for children throughout the facility. 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.
In April 2017, all airlines housed in Concourse E began moving to Concourse C. This would allow the airport to remodel the concourse and move International Arrivals processing into the terminal. Following redevelopment of Concourse E, the current International Arrivals Building just north of the main terminals will close.
Ground transportation
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is accessible from I-41/I-94 and WIS 38 via WIS 119.- Badger Coach has frequent trips between Mitchell Airport, Downtown Milwaukee, Madison, Johnson Creek and Goerkes Corners.
- Airport Connection has routes from the Airport to the Amtrak Station, the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station, parking lots, Sheboygan and the Fox Valley Area.
- Milwaukee County Transit System The Green Line MetroExpress offers service to downtown and north shore suburbs. Regular Route 80 also serves the Airport.
- Amtrak has a station 3/4 of a mile from the airport and uses the Hiawatha Service. Free shuttle buses go between the train station and the baggage claim.
- Amtrak has a Thruway Bus Service that calls at Mitchell International serving Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay. Its main purpose is to allow passengers from those cities to connect with Amtrak trains in downtown Milwaukee. However it offers service to/from Mitchell as a convenience to passengers - obviating the need for a 10-minute train ride and associated transfers.
- Wisconsin Coach Lines, as Airport Express, operates frequently to O'Hare Airport in Chicago and from Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha.
- Lamers Bus Lines, as Lamers Connect, operates daily service to/from Wausau with stops in Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, Waupaca and Stevens Point.
Military
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, an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the Air Force Reserve Command 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 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission 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.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Airline market share
Top destinations
Annual traffic
Accidents and incidents
- 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. All four on board were killed, which included company president Fred Miller and his oldest son, 20-year-old Fred, Jr., and the two company pilots, brothers Joseph and Paul Laird.
- 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, operated by the, crashed just short of the runway on. The weather was foggy with a visibility of a half mile. Four of the 11 people on board were killed and the plane was damaged beyond repair.
- 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.
- 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.
- On December 10, 1993, a Wisconsin Air National Guard KC-135 blew up on the ground. Six maintenance personnel died.
- In early August 1997, an SR-71 declared an in-air emergency prior to a fly-by at the Oshkosh Airshow and diverted to General Mitchell International Airport. No one was hurt in the incident.
- 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 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.
- 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. 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 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 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.