New Flights To Airline Hub Will Open Up Many Connections From MKE

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 jet. Photo by Tomás Del Coro, CC BY-SA 2.0

Southwest Airlines recently announced an expansion that will open up new destinations, and flight options, for travelers flying out of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

In 2026, Southwest will start flying twice-daily between Milwaukee Mitchell and Midway International Airport in Chicago, connecting local travelers to more destinations with connecting flights out of Midway. The new service will start flying March 6 next year.

Southwest has an even bigger footprint at Midway, carrying a majority of passengers traveling out of the airport on Chicago’s south side. Midway also had more than twice as many flights as Milwaukee Mitchell this past June, and offers significantly more international flights.

Southwest does not operate traditional hubs, like other major carriers, where a huge amount of service is concentrated in a single airport. However, it is the biggest carrier for Milwaukee Mitchell, flying more passengers to and from the airport than any other major airline. The airline scheduled direct flights to 17 destinations from Milwaukee in 2025, though the total is down from 24 a decade ago.

The airline is also expanding the destinations it serves out of San Diego International Airport, which will also aid Milwaukee travelers. Milwaukee area travelers will be able to fly Southwest daily, year-round on connecting flights to Eugene, Oregon; Maui, Hawaii; Portland, Oregon; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and Seattle. Though local travelers can already fly to Seattle directly on Alaska Airlines service operating out of Milwaukee

Southwest Announcement Comes as Milwaukee Mitchell Traffic Wanes

Milwaukee Mitchell officials have been working for years to make the airport an attractive option for travelers who live in the region. More passenger demand will help the airport attract new flights from the carriers and serve more destinations.

While COVID-19 decimated air travel at the airport 2020, passenger traffic at Milwaukee Mitchell has steadily rebounded since then. However, the first six months of passenger data for 2025 shows the airport saw approximately 280,000 fewer passengers than in 2024.