Midwest Airlines to Open Kansas City Kitchen Op., Add 40 Jobs

Midwest Airlines plans to open a kitchen operation in Kansas City that is expected to add about 40 local employees.

Midwest, based in Milwaukee, will sell onboard meals as part of a redesign of its inflight dining program. The meals will range from $5 for breakfast snacks and up to $10 for dinners.

Midwest recently announced that will add five new flights from Kansas City International Airport beginning in May, giving it 21 nonstop flights from Kansas City.

The local kitchen and food-preparation operation will open in late summer, said Carol Skornicka, a Midwest spokeswoman. Midwest will initiate the new service in Milwaukee in May.

Skornicka said a new facility in Kansas City has not been selected, but it will be located near the airport.

"There will be all kinds of jobs, from managing the kitchen to driving the trucks to deliver the food," she said.

Midwest is contracting with Mader's Restaurant, a well-known Milwaukee business, to develop and prepare its meals.

At the same time that Midwest Airlines is adding service out of Kansas City, it is seeing more competition in its hometown. Northwest Airlines said it would add two nonstop flights between Kansas City and Milwaukee in June.

Northwest, which uses regional carrier Pinnacle Airlines for its Kansas City-Milwaukee service, currently has one daily nonstop flight from KCI to Milwaukee.