Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport celebrated a successful 2022 with the launch of new air service and new amenities to enhance the overall passenger experience. Air travel inched closer than ever to pre-pandemic levels and MKE is ready to meet the demand in 2023 with increased air service offerings.
“In 2022, the world-class team at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport was responsible for thousands of memories, vacations, trips, and special moments,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “As more people resumed air travel, our MKE Airport met that demand by providing hometown travelers with new air service, new amenities, and delicious new offerings at its restaurants.”
As airports nationwide continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 5.4 million travelers passed through MKE in 2022, up approximately 20% from 2021.
Welcome JetBlue, Welcome New York and Boston Travelers
The year of growth was propelled by the launch of JetBlue Airways in March, which featured a ribbon cutting, a set depicting the New York City skyline, a cake that gave nod to the new destinations, and a live Broadway performer to entertain travelers.
JetBlue now flies nonstop from MKE to New York JFK and Boston every day. Boston proved to be one of the most trending destinations out of Milwaukee this year, seeing the biggest increase in flights taken by Milwaukee travelers.
Delta Responds to Passenger Growth with Enhanced New York Service
New York also proved to be an incredibly popular destination and Delta responded to the demand by adding daily nonstop service to New York JFK to complement its existing service to New York LaGuardia. Travelers now have the option to reach any of New York’s three major airports daily thanks to three of MKE’s major airlines.
MKE Brings CLEAR’s Expedited Lanes
In response to this increased demand, new amenities were introduced at MKE in 2022 to enhance the passenger experience. In August, CLEAR launched expedited lanes at MKE. This allows members to use CLEAR’s network of dedicated lanes to use biometrics to verify their identity and reduce the amount of time spent at the security checkpoint. The response to CLEAR has been overwhelmingly positive, and it created additional jobs and local economic impact at the Airport.
MKE Wins Big in Eyes of Travelers
MKE ended the year by ranking in the top tier of U.S. airports by two highly respected organizations – J.D. Power and Condé Nast. These two surveys were voiced by travelers surveyed about their arrival and departure experiences at airports nationwide in 2022.
“We are proud that these awards are based on survey responses from passengers who have used MKE,” said Airport Director Brian Dranzik. “We want travelers to have the quickest, easiest, and best experience when they fly through our hometown airport. We continue to focus on increasing air service offerings, developing new concession options, and enhancing the overall travel experience.”
All of these efforts led to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport being awarded its first ever Airport Service Quality Award (ASQ) from Airports Council International. This was a huge accomplishment because the award is determined directly by passenger feedback while they are at the airport.
MKE Looks Ahead to 2023
In 2023, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport will welcome new destinations and increased service to existing destinations. Tickets for all new and existing destinations are on sale now.
Passenger numbers are expected to increase as Milwaukee welcomes the return of the Great Lakes cruise season, with the addition of the Viking Polaris. Golfers from throughout the world will flock to Wisconsin’s world-class courses; and sports tourism with NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a big draw for Milwaukee this upcoming year. Additionally, major summer events like Harley-Davidson’s 120th Anniversary Homecoming, the USA Triathlon Nationals, Northwestern Mutual’s annual meeting, and numerous other corporate and industry conventions will draw inbound flight passengers to Milwaukee.
