Guide to the Milwaukee Airport
Sep 2, 2010, 7:59 am
#168
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: MKE
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 141
Sep 2, 2010, 9:38 am
#169
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,412
Sep 3, 2010, 7:52 am
#172
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: MKE
Posts: 2,161
Oct 7, 2010, 8:09 am
#176
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,638
Expansion at MKE?
From The Daily Reporter:
By Joe Lanane
Milwaukee County might spend $500,000 reviewing a General Mitchell International Airport expansion in an airline market that has left terminals shuttered throughout the nation.
Airport Director Barry Bateman requested money in next year’s county budget to pay for a study of expansion options at the airport. Now is the time, he said, to review...
Milwaukee County might spend $500,000 reviewing a General Mitchell International Airport expansion in an airline market that has left terminals shuttered throughout the nation.
Airport Director Barry Bateman requested money in next year’s county budget to pay for a study of expansion options at the airport. Now is the time, he said, to review...
Oct 7, 2010, 8:24 am
#177
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,463
Seems like they are in a no-win situation. Expansion takes time. 2-5 years down the road is an eternity for this industry and I don't think any study can predict what will happen. How many airports around the country have finished expansions just as the major carrier pulls the plug on them ( Think the new runway at STL ).
Yet the airport authority does not want to be in the position of turning away requests for increased usage from airlines.
Yet the airport authority does not want to be in the position of turning away requests for increased usage from airlines.
Oct 7, 2010, 3:33 pm
#178
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,412
First off, the airport is operated by Milwaukee County...not a separate airport authority.
Second...imagine if the County didn't have the foresight to build the C concourse hammerhead a few years ago. Things would have really been cramped...Actually, I doubt AirTran would have been able to build a small hub at MKE without that expansion.
The airport folks will have to be careful to not build a concourse that is later mothballed. After all, look at what's happened at PIT and CVG, where they have completely sealed off parts of concourses.
At the same time, they have to try to project for future growth. I think they are smart in assuming growth will be modest.
Second...imagine if the County didn't have the foresight to build the C concourse hammerhead a few years ago. Things would have really been cramped...Actually, I doubt AirTran would have been able to build a small hub at MKE without that expansion.
The airport folks will have to be careful to not build a concourse that is later mothballed. After all, look at what's happened at PIT and CVG, where they have completely sealed off parts of concourses.
At the same time, they have to try to project for future growth. I think they are smart in assuming growth will be modest.
Last edited by newsmanhoss; Oct 7, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Oct 7, 2010, 7:51 pm
#180
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,653
Things appear to be working out well for MKE in this regard because of the WN/FL merger.
Today both the AirTran and Frontier operation are highly banked, and are tight for space at peak times but have low utilizaton at other times.
Southwest/AirTran uses ten gates today. Even if Southwest ultimately runs a relatively large operation at Milwaukee (like 40-50/day) they probably won't need more than 5 or 6 gates because they don't run banked hubs. And if Southwest is that large at MKE, they will be carrying a whole lot of new local traffic growth.
Frontier, who will still run a banked operation, is quite likely to get two of those freed up gates to again have D for themselves. That gives them room to add more spokes to their banks, including stacking more RJ's on the hammerhead if needed.
So for the airport:
One hub airline (WN) can handle a lot of potential additional local traffic growth if it should come, but still has gates to release.
The other hub airline (F9) will probably gain two gates, to allow them to expand if they so choose.
Two gates or so will open up for future demand / future carriers.
Milwaukee probably doesn't need any more gates for a good while now that WN is taking over FL.
Today both the AirTran and Frontier operation are highly banked, and are tight for space at peak times but have low utilizaton at other times.
Southwest/AirTran uses ten gates today. Even if Southwest ultimately runs a relatively large operation at Milwaukee (like 40-50/day) they probably won't need more than 5 or 6 gates because they don't run banked hubs. And if Southwest is that large at MKE, they will be carrying a whole lot of new local traffic growth.
Frontier, who will still run a banked operation, is quite likely to get two of those freed up gates to again have D for themselves. That gives them room to add more spokes to their banks, including stacking more RJ's on the hammerhead if needed.
So for the airport:
One hub airline (WN) can handle a lot of potential additional local traffic growth if it should come, but still has gates to release.
The other hub airline (F9) will probably gain two gates, to allow them to expand if they so choose.
Two gates or so will open up for future demand / future carriers.
Milwaukee probably doesn't need any more gates for a good while now that WN is taking over FL.