Highlighting 13 months of record passenger growth, General Mitchell International (MKE) welcomed its 9 millionth passenger Monday – the first time more than 9 million passengers have used the airport in a year.
“Travelers at Milwaukee County’s Mitchell International Airport continue to enjoy competitive airfares that are not only lower on average than Chicago’s O’Hare, but are $78 lower than the national average,” says Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. “Coupled with our ease of travel, convenient parking and relaxed atmosphere, it’s no wonder travelers from Wisconsin and northern Illinois are making Mitchell their airport of choice.”
Vatsa Veeravalli was the lucky passenger, arriving on Frontier Airlines Flight 321 from Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) at 1 p.m. He and his wife were on their way home to San Antonio, Texas, and he learned was the 9 millionth passenger as they transferred flights. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker presented him with a new Mitchell Airport suitcase filled with goodies to commemorate the occasion, and Frontier Airlines’ Jim Reichart awarded him a $500 Frontier Fly Bucks gift card.
“Frontier Airlines is thrilled to be part of this milestone celebration at General Mitchell International Airport,” says Jim Reichart, vice president of sales, distribution and loyalty for Frontier Airlines. “We’re proud to continue our 25-year legacy of providing travelers with the most non-stop service from Milwaukee.”
The number of passengers using MKE so far this year has already exceeded 2009’s record total of 7,946,562.
“With a 28.7 percent increase over the first nine months of this year over 2009, Milwaukee continues to far outpace the national average,” says airport director Barry Bateman.
Airports Council International reported that during the second quarter of 2010, Mitchell was the third fastest-growing airport in the world, exceeded only by airports in Istanbul, Turkey, and Moscow, Russia. Mitchell was the only U.S. airport among the top 30 fastest-growing airports worldwide.
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