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EspañolCHICAGO MIDWAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(Redirected from Midway Airport)
:''This is an article about the airport in Chicago. For the airport in British Columbia, Canada see Midway Airport (British Columbia).''
The Greater-Chicago Area featuring Chicago-Midway and O'Hare International Airports
'Chicago Midway International Airport' , also known simply as 'Midway Airport', is an airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's southwest side, eight miles from Chicago's Loop. The airport's current IATA code "MDW" has been in use since it was implemented in 1949 when 'Chicago Municipal Airport' was renamed Chicago Midway Airport. It is bordered by (clockwise from N) 55th Street, Cicero Avenue (terminal entrance), 63rd Street, and Central Avenue. The airport's northern half is within the Garfield Ridge community area, and the southern half is within the Clearing community area. The airport is managed by the Chicago Airport System, which also oversees operations at O'Hare International Airport and Gary/Chicago International Airport. Midway is heavily used by low-cost carriers, such as AirTran Airways, ATA Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, and to a lesser extent by legacy carriers, such as Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines. Both the Stevenson Expressway and Chicago Transit Authority's "L" Train Orange Line provide passengers easy access to downtown Chicago.
Chicago Midway Airport is the 2nd largest passenger airport in the Chicago metropolitan area, and is the 2nd busiest in the state after Chicago O'Hare International Airport. In 2006, 18,868,388 passengers traveled through Chicago-Midway, second behind O'Hare International Airport, and ahead of Gary/Chicago International Airport and Chicago/Rockford International Airport. In 2005, Chicago Midway International Airport was the 30th busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger traffic.[1] In its 80 year history of passenger traffic, Midway Airport has had 21 incidents and accidents, and only one since 1976. Chicago Midway International Airport ranked #3 amongst large airports in the nation for "Best On-Time Arrival Rates" in June 2007, with 75.4% of all flights (8,087) arriving on-time, a 3.8% increase from last year. [2]
Today, Midway Airport serves as a focus city for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines[3] and Orlando-based AirTran Airways, and is also the main operations base for Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines (ATA), which, in addition to its domestic network of 5 destinations, flies internationally from Midway to 2 cities in Mexico; 7 overall. Southwest is the dominant carrier at Midway, controlling 29 of the airport's 43 gates. Currently, the airline offers 218 daily departures to 47 destinations. AirTran is the second largest carrier at Midway, offering 26 daily nonstop flights to 8 destinations; 6 of which are served year-round.
Originally named 'Chicago Air Park'[4], Midway Airport was built on 320 acres in 1923 and consisted of a single cinder runway that primarily served airmail services. The site was selected following the destruction of the ''Wingfoot Air Express'' when it crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building, killing thirteen people and the city decided to close the Grant Park air strip. In 1926, the Chicago City Council leased the land for commercial purposes from the Chicago Board of Education at a rate of $1560 per year. On December 12, 1927, Midway was dedicated as "'Chicago Municipal Airport'" by Chicago Mayor William H. Thompson,[5] and became known as "Munie" to many early pilots. The unique one square mile footprint of Midway Airport is due to its connection to the Chicago Board of Education. When the state of Illinois was created, land was divided into townships. Each township included a one square mile (640 acre) section devoted to education. In most instances, one room school houses were located on this land, the balance of which was farmed to provide funds for the operation of the school. As township school districts consolidated, much of this excess land was typically sold for other purposes. The Chicago Board of Education continued to own the Midway Airport section and rent it to the City of Chicago for airport operations until the early 1980s, when an education funding crisis forced the Board of Education to sell the land to the City.
Chicago Midway Airport (formerly Chicago Municipal Airport) as it looked in 1927
During its first full year of operation in 1928, the airfield was home to twelve hangars and four runways, lit for night operations. Air traffic control was handled by flagmen, who would be positioned at the end of the runways, where they were responsible that year for controlling 14,498 flight operations carrying 41,660 passengers.5 The official observation site for Chicago's weather records was also moved to Midway during that year from the downtown area and would remain there until it was moved again, this time to O'Hare, in 1958.
Midway Airport Diagram
The former Main Terminal entrance of
Chicago Midway Airport before the
airport's recent expansion project
A new passenger terminal and administration building, funded by a bond issue, was dedicated in 1931 by Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and in the following year, Midway Airport earned the title of "World's Busiest" with over 100,846 passengers riding on 60,947 flights.5 Midway held that title for three decades until O'Hare claimed it in 1962.
In 1941, Midway Airport joined World War II efforts because of its long runways and mid-continent position.5 The war years proved to be a boom for Midway, which saw new construction funded in part by $1 million in Federal monies from the Works Progress Administration, and work on additional runways moved forward in 1941 when a court ordered the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad to reroute tracks in the vicinity of the airfield. Midway handled a full 25% of the Nation's 417,000 passengers during that year.
The airport was officially renamed on July 8 1949 by a unanimous vote in the City Council, to "Chicago Midway Airport" in honor of the World War II Battle of Midway5 – not after Midway Airlines, as many have believed, nor because the airport is located at the west end of 59th Street (the eastern end of which is part of Chicago's historic Midway Plaisance). Midway saw 3.2 million passengers carried on 223,000 flights during that year. The number of passengers rose to 3.5 million the next year and reached a height of 10 million in 1959. This Video of Chicago Midway Airport in 1954 helps show the increase in traffic that Midway Airport experienced throughout the 1950s. However, by 1959, the airport had proved unable to handle larger aircraft and higher passenger loads. By 1961, the airport faced a 60% drop in passenger traffic, largely due to the opening of O'Hare in 1955. United Airlines, the first major carrier to serve Midway, ceased operations at the airport, the last remaining carrier to do so during this period of decline.
By 1967, reconstruction had begun at the airport, adding three new concourses with 28 gates and three ticket counters5, and in 1968, the City invested $10 million in renovation funds. The funds partly supported construction of the Stevenson Expressway, which proved to be a major route for passengers to the airport, and Midway saw the return of major airlines during that year, serving 1,663,074 passengers on more than 274,062 flights5, aided in part by the introduction of jets, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727, and Boeing 737, that were capable of using Midway's shorter runways, which the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 could not.
In 1979, Midway Airlines began operations5, the first to do so after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, and went on to become the flagship carrier at Midway before ending its operations in 1991. Midway Airlines helped revitalize the airport and led the way for other discount carriers, who benefitted from Midway's lower costs and close proximity to Chicago's Loop, to prosper. Southwest Airlines, which began operations at Midway in 1985[6], was one such beneficiary. Three years earlier, in 1982, the City of Chicago purchased Midway Airport from the Chicago Board of Education for $16 million.[7]
The Chicago Transit Authority displaced the Carlton Midway Inn to open a new CTA terminal at the airport on October 31, 1993 for the newly established Chicago 'L' Orange Line, which connected Midway to Chicago's Loop.5 The CTA's Orange Line connects Chicago Midway International Airport to downtown Chicago via elevated train transportation. Midway Airport is the terminus of the line, which traverses the southwest portion of the city before ending up in the loop and cycling back to Midway again.[8] The Orange Line does not run 24 hours a day, but does operate extensive hours from about 4:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M., running at an average of 8 minute intervals.8
In 1996, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the historic Midway Airport Terminal Development Program, which was launched the next year. At the time, it was the largest public works project in the state.[9] The Midway Airport Parking Garage opened in 1999, bringing covered parking to the airport for the first time. The garage, offering 3,000 hourly and daily parking spaces, is connected to the Midway Terminal Building for convenient access to ticket counters and baggage claim areas.
.jpg)
Midway Airport's new passenger terminal. In the background are ticket counters for Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.
Continuing with the expansion project, in 2000, a pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue was constructed. The bridge connects the new terminal to the new concourses. In 2001, the new 900,000 square foot (84,000 square meter) Midway Airport terminal building opened, offering expanded ticket counters, spacious baggage claim areas, traveler information and a short walking distance to airline gates. A 50,000 square-foot food court opened with Chicago-style food and retail options, and in 2002, Midway welcomed the return of direct international service after a 40-year absence with the opening of the new Federal Inspection Service facility in Concourse A.[10]
In June 2004, Mayor Daley and airline officials celebrated the completion of the Terminal Development Program. The expansion project resulted in the addition of 14 gates (from 29 to 43), with the airport now providing 43 gates on 3 concourses. A new 6,300 space economy parking garage, including a new bridge and roadway used exclusively for buses shuttling passengers to and from the terminal opened in December 2005.7
Simultaneous to Midway's expansion, ATA Airlines began rapid expansion at Chicago-Midway in the early 2000s, and prior to 2004, ATA offered significant scheduled service to destinations from Midway Airport and was the airport's dominant carrier, occupying and operating 14 of the 17 gates in Concourse A. However, after the airline declared bankruptcy in October 2004, scheduled service from Midway significantly decreased. Due to repeated cancellations to its schedule, ATA now offers only 20 daily non-stop flights to 7 destinations, and mainly operates out of only 2 gates in Concourse B. Recently, on May 11, 2007, the airline added new service from Chicago to Oakland and Ontario, California. These new additions mark the first time ATA has increased service at Chicago-Midway in almost three years.
The two original Southwest Airlines maintenance hangars at Midway Airport.
Air Midwest, a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, also confirmed that scheduled service flights would commence between Midway and Decatur and Quincy, Illinois on February 1, 2007.[11]
Compass Airlines, a subsidiary of Northwest Airlink has confirmed that they will operate a daily flight to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport starting November 4, 2007.
Before the rise of O'Hare in the late 1950s, Midway was the world's busiest airport and one of the key hubs in the U.S. airline system. United Airlines was headquartered at Midway in the pre-O'Hare days, and American Airlines was originally based at Midway until it moved its headquarters to New York City in the mid-1930s. There was also a very large presence from TWA and Eastern Air Lines, as well as several others. The airport was extensively renovated in 1958 and, again, in 1967, after in which several of the legacy carriers resumed service after a period of some years. Midway was also a hub for the startup Midway Airlines in the 1980s, and a focus city for former Vanguard Airlines from 1997 - 2000.[12]
Both American Airlines[13] and United Airlines[14] ended all scheduled service to Midway in September 2006, in favor of concentrating Chicago-area operations at the larger nearby O'Hare International Airport. However, despite its small size compared to O'Hare, Midway is still a vital Chicago transportation terminal. Its key advantage is that it is closer to the Loop than O'Hare.8 The average train ride on the Orange Line from the Loop to Chicago Midway International Airport is about 20 - 25 minutes.8
Big Sky Airlines, which commenced non-stop service on December 3, 2006, between Springfield, Illinois, and Midway, later expanded the service to include daily nonstop flight to Eau Claire, Wisconsin beginning on March 17. However, citing poor demand, both the Springfield as well as the Eau Claire flights were discontinued on June 9, 2007.[15]
.jpg)
Runway 4R at Chicago's Midway Airport, with the Chicago skyline in the background.
The original fully-developed 1940s layout included 8 runways that crisscrossed the 8-block-by-8-block (one square mile) property. All terminals and hangars were on the square periphery. By the late 1970s the shorter north-south and east-west runway pairs had been closed. 4 of the original runways remain, all significantly strengthened and enhanced, but essentially the same lengths as always. A short runway for light aircraft was added in 1989.
Chicago Midway International Airport covers 650 acres and currently has five runways:[16]
★ Runway 13C/31C: 6,522 x 150 ft. (1,988 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
★ Runway 4R/22L: 6,446 x 150 ft. (1,965 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
★ Runway 4L/22R: 5,507 x 150 ft. (1,679 x 46 m), general aviation & air taxi.
★ Runway 13L/31R: 5,141 x 150 ft. (1,567 x 46 m), general aviation & air taxi.
★ Runway 13R/31L: 3,859 x 60 ft. (1,176 x 18 m), light aircraft only.
Because Midway is surrounded by buildings and other development, the landing thresholds of the runways are displaced to provide a proper obstacle clearance. Both the FAA and the airlines assure safety by limiting loads and adhering to adjusted weather minimums. Also because of displaced thresholds the runways are actually a lot shorter in terms of take-offs and landings. 13C/31C, the longest runway, only has a maximum take-off and landing distance of 6059 feet, and on the opposite end of the runway the maximum take-off and landing distance is 5826 feet. All the other runways have a maximum take-off and landing distance below 5930 feet.[17]
Chicago-Midway Concourses A, B, & C
Concourse A at Chicago Midway Airport. Pictured is a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 at Gate A11, and a Northwest Airlines DC-9 parked at Gate A5.
The far end of Concourse B at Chicago Midway International Airport. Pictured is an ATA Airlines Boeing 737-800 parked at Gate B24.
Destinations served from Chicago's
Midway International Airport
(As of November 2007)
Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, a Boeing 737-700, after it skidded off runway 31C on December 8, 2005.
The carriers transporting the most passengers from Chicago Midway Airport are Southwest, AirTran, and ATA. These airlines, along with the 6 other airlines that serve Chicago-Midway make up the passenger traffic. In 2006, these airlines carried a total of 18,868,388 passengers through MDW, a 5.6% increase over the previous year. Also in 2006, 298,548 aircraft passed through Midway Airport, a 3.1% increase over 2005.[18]
For complete information on flights to and from Chicago Midway International Airport, please see the airport's website.
Chicago Midway International Airport provides 43 aircraft gates on 3 concourses (A, B, & C)
'Note:' All International Arrivals are handled in Concourse A
Concourse A has 17 Gates: A1 - A3, A4A, A4B, A5, A7, A9 - A12, A14 - A19
★ AirTran Airways Gates A4A, A4B, A10, A12 (Atlanta, Boston [seasonal], Charlotte, Fort Myers [seasonal], Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton)
★ ATA Airlines Gate A3 (Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Guadalajara, New York-LaGuardia, Oakland, Ontario, Washington-Reagan)
★ Delta Air Lines Gate A1
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America (New York-LaGuardia)
★ Frontier Airlines Gate A2 (Denver)
★
★ Apple Vacations operated by Frontier Airlines (Cancún) [weekend charter]
★ Mesa Airlines Gate A4A
★
★ Mesa Airlines operated by Air Midwest (Decatur, Quincy)
★ Northwest Airlines Gates A5, A7 (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) [begins November 4]
★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
★ Southwest Airlines Gates A9, A11, A14 - A19 (Albany, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hartford/Springfield, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Long Island/Islip, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oakland, Omaha, Orange County [ends October 4], Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson, Washington-Dulles)
'Note:' International Arrivals are handled in Concourse A.
Concourse B has 23 Gates: B1 - B3, B5, B7 - B12, B14 - B26
★ ATA Airlines Gates B25, B26 (See Concourse A)
★ Southwest Airlines Gates B1 - B3, B5, B7 - B12, B14 - B24 (See Concourse A)
Concourse C has 3 Gates: C1 - C3
★ Continental Airlines Gates C2, C3 (Newark)
★
★ Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Cleveland, Newark)
★ Delta Air Lines Gate C1
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Comair (Atlanta)
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America (Atlanta)
On June 30 1956 United Airlines Flight 718, a Douglas DC-7, was headed for Midway Airport. Over the Grand Canyon it collided with a TWA Super Constellation killing all 128 people on both planes. This became the impetus for the modern air traffic control system.
On December 8 1972, United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737-200, crashed into a residential area outside of Midway during landing. The crash of the 737-200 killed 43 of the 61 on board, and two on the ground.
Exactly 33 years later, on December 8 2005, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, a Boeing 737-700 inbound from Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, slid off the runway while attempting to land at the airport in heavy snow and winds. The airplane broke through the barrier fence of the airport and came to rest in the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue bordering the airport at its northwest corner.[19] A 6-year-old boy was killed as a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by the plane after it skidded into the street.[20]
INFORMATION SOURCED FROM: Civil Aeronautics Board archives, NTSB records, bukiri-research.
NOTE: The runway now designated 13C-31C was designated 13R-31L until 1989, when a new Runway 13R-31L was built. Runway 27L was closed and is now designated taxiway K.
Midway Airport is served by the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" trains. Passengers can board Orange Line trains at a station in the airport terminal, which runs to downtown Chicago and the Loop (transit time about 30 minutes). This same station doubles as a stop for many CTA-run buses that serve the surrounding areas. Midway is one of the few airports in the United States that have rapid transit train to terminal service.[21]
★ O'Hare International Airport
★ Gary/Chicago International Airport
★ Chicago/Rockford International Airport
★ Proposed Chicago south suburban airport
1. 2005 North America Final Traffic Report : Total Passengers
2. 'It's a nightmare' for air travel
3. Southwest Airlines Fact sheet
4. Chicago Transportation: Chicago Midway Airport
5. Midway Airport Visitors Guide (History Section)
6. Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet: Top Ten Airports
7. History of Midway International Airport
8. Midway Airport in Chicago: Train and Bus Transportation - Connecting with Chicago's Other Airport
9. Early History/Post O'hare history
10. New Midway Terminal
11. Air Midwest Service
12. Midway Airlines
13. American to pull out of Chicago Midway
14. United to pull out of Chicago Midway
15. Big Sky Airlines Service
16. MDW FAA Information Effective 15 March 2007
17. Airfield Info
18. Monthly Operations, Passengers, Cargo Summary By Class For December 2006
19. Jet Slides Off Runway at Chicago's Midway
20. Jet Slides Off Chicago Runway; Boy Dies
21. Map of "L" Train to Midway
★ Midway International Airport (official web site)
★ Midway International Airport: Terminal and Concourse Maps
★ TWA Crash of 1959
★ 1972 Crash Summary
★ Survey number HABS IL-305 - Midway Airport, South Terminal, Cicero Avenue between Fifty-fifth & Sixty-third Streets, Chicago, Cook County, IL
★
★
:''This is an article about the airport in Chicago. For the airport in British Columbia, Canada see Midway Airport (British Columbia).''
'Chicago Midway International Airport' , also known simply as 'Midway Airport', is an airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's southwest side, eight miles from Chicago's Loop. The airport's current IATA code "MDW" has been in use since it was implemented in 1949 when 'Chicago Municipal Airport' was renamed Chicago Midway Airport. It is bordered by (clockwise from N) 55th Street, Cicero Avenue (terminal entrance), 63rd Street, and Central Avenue. The airport's northern half is within the Garfield Ridge community area, and the southern half is within the Clearing community area. The airport is managed by the Chicago Airport System, which also oversees operations at O'Hare International Airport and Gary/Chicago International Airport. Midway is heavily used by low-cost carriers, such as AirTran Airways, ATA Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, and to a lesser extent by legacy carriers, such as Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines. Both the Stevenson Expressway and Chicago Transit Authority's "L" Train Orange Line provide passengers easy access to downtown Chicago.
Chicago Midway Airport is the 2nd largest passenger airport in the Chicago metropolitan area, and is the 2nd busiest in the state after Chicago O'Hare International Airport. In 2006, 18,868,388 passengers traveled through Chicago-Midway, second behind O'Hare International Airport, and ahead of Gary/Chicago International Airport and Chicago/Rockford International Airport. In 2005, Chicago Midway International Airport was the 30th busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger traffic.[1] In its 80 year history of passenger traffic, Midway Airport has had 21 incidents and accidents, and only one since 1976. Chicago Midway International Airport ranked #3 amongst large airports in the nation for "Best On-Time Arrival Rates" in June 2007, with 75.4% of all flights (8,087) arriving on-time, a 3.8% increase from last year. [2]
Today, Midway Airport serves as a focus city for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines[3] and Orlando-based AirTran Airways, and is also the main operations base for Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines (ATA), which, in addition to its domestic network of 5 destinations, flies internationally from Midway to 2 cities in Mexico; 7 overall. Southwest is the dominant carrier at Midway, controlling 29 of the airport's 43 gates. Currently, the airline offers 218 daily departures to 47 destinations. AirTran is the second largest carrier at Midway, offering 26 daily nonstop flights to 8 destinations; 6 of which are served year-round.
History
Early history
Originally named 'Chicago Air Park'[4], Midway Airport was built on 320 acres in 1923 and consisted of a single cinder runway that primarily served airmail services. The site was selected following the destruction of the ''Wingfoot Air Express'' when it crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building, killing thirteen people and the city decided to close the Grant Park air strip. In 1926, the Chicago City Council leased the land for commercial purposes from the Chicago Board of Education at a rate of $1560 per year. On December 12, 1927, Midway was dedicated as "'Chicago Municipal Airport'" by Chicago Mayor William H. Thompson,[5] and became known as "Munie" to many early pilots. The unique one square mile footprint of Midway Airport is due to its connection to the Chicago Board of Education. When the state of Illinois was created, land was divided into townships. Each township included a one square mile (640 acre) section devoted to education. In most instances, one room school houses were located on this land, the balance of which was farmed to provide funds for the operation of the school. As township school districts consolidated, much of this excess land was typically sold for other purposes. The Chicago Board of Education continued to own the Midway Airport section and rent it to the City of Chicago for airport operations until the early 1980s, when an education funding crisis forced the Board of Education to sell the land to the City.
During its first full year of operation in 1928, the airfield was home to twelve hangars and four runways, lit for night operations. Air traffic control was handled by flagmen, who would be positioned at the end of the runways, where they were responsible that year for controlling 14,498 flight operations carrying 41,660 passengers.5 The official observation site for Chicago's weather records was also moved to Midway during that year from the downtown area and would remain there until it was moved again, this time to O'Hare, in 1958.
Chicago Midway Airport before the
airport's recent expansion project
A new passenger terminal and administration building, funded by a bond issue, was dedicated in 1931 by Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and in the following year, Midway Airport earned the title of "World's Busiest" with over 100,846 passengers riding on 60,947 flights.5 Midway held that title for three decades until O'Hare claimed it in 1962.
In 1941, Midway Airport joined World War II efforts because of its long runways and mid-continent position.5 The war years proved to be a boom for Midway, which saw new construction funded in part by $1 million in Federal monies from the Works Progress Administration, and work on additional runways moved forward in 1941 when a court ordered the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad to reroute tracks in the vicinity of the airfield. Midway handled a full 25% of the Nation's 417,000 passengers during that year.
The airport was officially renamed on July 8 1949 by a unanimous vote in the City Council, to "Chicago Midway Airport" in honor of the World War II Battle of Midway5 – not after Midway Airlines, as many have believed, nor because the airport is located at the west end of 59th Street (the eastern end of which is part of Chicago's historic Midway Plaisance). Midway saw 3.2 million passengers carried on 223,000 flights during that year. The number of passengers rose to 3.5 million the next year and reached a height of 10 million in 1959. This Video of Chicago Midway Airport in 1954 helps show the increase in traffic that Midway Airport experienced throughout the 1950s. However, by 1959, the airport had proved unable to handle larger aircraft and higher passenger loads. By 1961, the airport faced a 60% drop in passenger traffic, largely due to the opening of O'Hare in 1955. United Airlines, the first major carrier to serve Midway, ceased operations at the airport, the last remaining carrier to do so during this period of decline.
Post O'Hare History
By 1967, reconstruction had begun at the airport, adding three new concourses with 28 gates and three ticket counters5, and in 1968, the City invested $10 million in renovation funds. The funds partly supported construction of the Stevenson Expressway, which proved to be a major route for passengers to the airport, and Midway saw the return of major airlines during that year, serving 1,663,074 passengers on more than 274,062 flights5, aided in part by the introduction of jets, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727, and Boeing 737, that were capable of using Midway's shorter runways, which the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 could not.
In 1979, Midway Airlines began operations5, the first to do so after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, and went on to become the flagship carrier at Midway before ending its operations in 1991. Midway Airlines helped revitalize the airport and led the way for other discount carriers, who benefitted from Midway's lower costs and close proximity to Chicago's Loop, to prosper. Southwest Airlines, which began operations at Midway in 1985[6], was one such beneficiary. Three years earlier, in 1982, the City of Chicago purchased Midway Airport from the Chicago Board of Education for $16 million.[7]
The Chicago Transit Authority displaced the Carlton Midway Inn to open a new CTA terminal at the airport on October 31, 1993 for the newly established Chicago 'L' Orange Line, which connected Midway to Chicago's Loop.5 The CTA's Orange Line connects Chicago Midway International Airport to downtown Chicago via elevated train transportation. Midway Airport is the terminus of the line, which traverses the southwest portion of the city before ending up in the loop and cycling back to Midway again.[8] The Orange Line does not run 24 hours a day, but does operate extensive hours from about 4:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M., running at an average of 8 minute intervals.8
Recent History
In 1996, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the historic Midway Airport Terminal Development Program, which was launched the next year. At the time, it was the largest public works project in the state.[9] The Midway Airport Parking Garage opened in 1999, bringing covered parking to the airport for the first time. The garage, offering 3,000 hourly and daily parking spaces, is connected to the Midway Terminal Building for convenient access to ticket counters and baggage claim areas.
.jpg)
Continuing with the expansion project, in 2000, a pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue was constructed. The bridge connects the new terminal to the new concourses. In 2001, the new 900,000 square foot (84,000 square meter) Midway Airport terminal building opened, offering expanded ticket counters, spacious baggage claim areas, traveler information and a short walking distance to airline gates. A 50,000 square-foot food court opened with Chicago-style food and retail options, and in 2002, Midway welcomed the return of direct international service after a 40-year absence with the opening of the new Federal Inspection Service facility in Concourse A.[10]
In June 2004, Mayor Daley and airline officials celebrated the completion of the Terminal Development Program. The expansion project resulted in the addition of 14 gates (from 29 to 43), with the airport now providing 43 gates on 3 concourses. A new 6,300 space economy parking garage, including a new bridge and roadway used exclusively for buses shuttling passengers to and from the terminal opened in December 2005.7
Simultaneous to Midway's expansion, ATA Airlines began rapid expansion at Chicago-Midway in the early 2000s, and prior to 2004, ATA offered significant scheduled service to destinations from Midway Airport and was the airport's dominant carrier, occupying and operating 14 of the 17 gates in Concourse A. However, after the airline declared bankruptcy in October 2004, scheduled service from Midway significantly decreased. Due to repeated cancellations to its schedule, ATA now offers only 20 daily non-stop flights to 7 destinations, and mainly operates out of only 2 gates in Concourse B. Recently, on May 11, 2007, the airline added new service from Chicago to Oakland and Ontario, California. These new additions mark the first time ATA has increased service at Chicago-Midway in almost three years.
New airlines
Air Midwest, a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, also confirmed that scheduled service flights would commence between Midway and Decatur and Quincy, Illinois on February 1, 2007.[11]
Compass Airlines, a subsidiary of Northwest Airlink has confirmed that they will operate a daily flight to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport starting November 4, 2007.
Previous airline service
Before the rise of O'Hare in the late 1950s, Midway was the world's busiest airport and one of the key hubs in the U.S. airline system. United Airlines was headquartered at Midway in the pre-O'Hare days, and American Airlines was originally based at Midway until it moved its headquarters to New York City in the mid-1930s. There was also a very large presence from TWA and Eastern Air Lines, as well as several others. The airport was extensively renovated in 1958 and, again, in 1967, after in which several of the legacy carriers resumed service after a period of some years. Midway was also a hub for the startup Midway Airlines in the 1980s, and a focus city for former Vanguard Airlines from 1997 - 2000.[12]
Both American Airlines[13] and United Airlines[14] ended all scheduled service to Midway in September 2006, in favor of concentrating Chicago-area operations at the larger nearby O'Hare International Airport. However, despite its small size compared to O'Hare, Midway is still a vital Chicago transportation terminal. Its key advantage is that it is closer to the Loop than O'Hare.8 The average train ride on the Orange Line from the Loop to Chicago Midway International Airport is about 20 - 25 minutes.8
Big Sky Airlines, which commenced non-stop service on December 3, 2006, between Springfield, Illinois, and Midway, later expanded the service to include daily nonstop flight to Eau Claire, Wisconsin beginning on March 17. However, citing poor demand, both the Springfield as well as the Eau Claire flights were discontinued on June 9, 2007.[15]
Airfield
.jpg)
The original fully-developed 1940s layout included 8 runways that crisscrossed the 8-block-by-8-block (one square mile) property. All terminals and hangars were on the square periphery. By the late 1970s the shorter north-south and east-west runway pairs had been closed. 4 of the original runways remain, all significantly strengthened and enhanced, but essentially the same lengths as always. A short runway for light aircraft was added in 1989.
Chicago Midway International Airport covers 650 acres and currently has five runways:[16]
★ Runway 13C/31C: 6,522 x 150 ft. (1,988 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
★ Runway 4R/22L: 6,446 x 150 ft. (1,965 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
★ Runway 4L/22R: 5,507 x 150 ft. (1,679 x 46 m), general aviation & air taxi.
★ Runway 13L/31R: 5,141 x 150 ft. (1,567 x 46 m), general aviation & air taxi.
★ Runway 13R/31L: 3,859 x 60 ft. (1,176 x 18 m), light aircraft only.
Because Midway is surrounded by buildings and other development, the landing thresholds of the runways are displaced to provide a proper obstacle clearance. Both the FAA and the airlines assure safety by limiting loads and adhering to adjusted weather minimums. Also because of displaced thresholds the runways are actually a lot shorter in terms of take-offs and landings. 13C/31C, the longest runway, only has a maximum take-off and landing distance of 6059 feet, and on the opposite end of the runway the maximum take-off and landing distance is 5826 feet. All the other runways have a maximum take-off and landing distance below 5930 feet.[17]
Airlines and destinations
Midway International Airport
(As of November 2007)
The carriers transporting the most passengers from Chicago Midway Airport are Southwest, AirTran, and ATA. These airlines, along with the 6 other airlines that serve Chicago-Midway make up the passenger traffic. In 2006, these airlines carried a total of 18,868,388 passengers through MDW, a 5.6% increase over the previous year. Also in 2006, 298,548 aircraft passed through Midway Airport, a 3.1% increase over 2005.[18]
For complete information on flights to and from Chicago Midway International Airport, please see the airport's website.
Chicago Midway International Airport provides 43 aircraft gates on 3 concourses (A, B, & C)
Concourse A
'Note:' All International Arrivals are handled in Concourse A
Concourse A has 17 Gates: A1 - A3, A4A, A4B, A5, A7, A9 - A12, A14 - A19
★ AirTran Airways Gates A4A, A4B, A10, A12 (Atlanta, Boston [seasonal], Charlotte, Fort Myers [seasonal], Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton)
★ ATA Airlines Gate A3 (Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Guadalajara, New York-LaGuardia, Oakland, Ontario, Washington-Reagan)
★ Delta Air Lines Gate A1
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America (New York-LaGuardia)
★ Frontier Airlines Gate A2 (Denver)
★
★ Apple Vacations operated by Frontier Airlines (Cancún) [weekend charter]
★ Mesa Airlines Gate A4A
★
★ Mesa Airlines operated by Air Midwest (Decatur, Quincy)
★ Northwest Airlines Gates A5, A7 (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) [begins November 4]
★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
★ Southwest Airlines Gates A9, A11, A14 - A19 (Albany, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hartford/Springfield, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Long Island/Islip, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oakland, Omaha, Orange County [ends October 4], Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson, Washington-Dulles)
Concourse B
'Note:' International Arrivals are handled in Concourse A.
Concourse B has 23 Gates: B1 - B3, B5, B7 - B12, B14 - B26
★ ATA Airlines Gates B25, B26 (See Concourse A)
★ Southwest Airlines Gates B1 - B3, B5, B7 - B12, B14 - B24 (See Concourse A)
Concourse C
Concourse C has 3 Gates: C1 - C3
★ Continental Airlines Gates C2, C3 (Newark)
★
★ Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Cleveland, Newark)
★ Delta Air Lines Gate C1
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Comair (Atlanta)
★
★ Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America (Atlanta)
Incidents and Accidents
Significant Incidents
On June 30 1956 United Airlines Flight 718, a Douglas DC-7, was headed for Midway Airport. Over the Grand Canyon it collided with a TWA Super Constellation killing all 128 people on both planes. This became the impetus for the modern air traffic control system.
December 8 Incidents
On December 8 1972, United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737-200, crashed into a residential area outside of Midway during landing. The crash of the 737-200 killed 43 of the 61 on board, and two on the ground.
Exactly 33 years later, on December 8 2005, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, a Boeing 737-700 inbound from Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, slid off the runway while attempting to land at the airport in heavy snow and winds. The airplane broke through the barrier fence of the airport and came to rest in the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue bordering the airport at its northwest corner.[19] A 6-year-old boy was killed as a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by the plane after it skidded into the street.[20]
| Date | Registration | Aircraft | Carrier | Location | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/31/36 | NC14979 | DC-2 | Trans World Airlines | - | On approach to 27L, 1 engine out, strong gusts, crashed half a mile east of field |
| 12/04/40 | NC25678 | DC-3A | United Airlines | 6356 So. Keating | Pilot lost sight in bad weather, spun in |
| 05/21/43 | B-24 | US ARMY | 3625 W. 73rd St. | On approach, disoriented in bad weather, hit huge gas storage tank 2.5 miles south east | |
| 09/26/46 | NC19939 | DC-3 | Trans World Airlines | W. of 96th Ave. at 97th St. | Mid-air collision with Boeing PT-17, DC-3 limped in to Midway |
| 07/02/46 | NC28383 | DC-3 | Trans World Airlines | - | Crashed 1.5 miles northeast of field |
| 03/10/48 | NC37478 | DC-4 | Delta Air Lines | 5000 W. 55th St. | Plane took off 36L, at 150 feet went vertical, at 500 feet nosed over, crashed on 55th St. |
| 03/26/49 | NC90736 | DC-6 | American Airlines | - | Hit power lines on approach |
| 12/18/49 | NC86501 | L-049 | Trans World Airlines | - | Landing too far down 13R crashed through fence, ended up at 63rd & Cicero |
| 01/04/51 | N79982 | C-46 | Monarch Airlines | - | Overloaded taking off on 31L, could not climb, crashed on railroad tracks one half mile northeast |
| 09/16/51 | N74689 | C-46 | Peninsula Transport | - | Belly-landed 500 yards away at northeast 63rd & Harlem |
| 03/03/53 | N6214C | L-1049 | Eastern Airlines | On field | Landed on 31L, gear collapsed, skidded southwest toward Hale School |
| 07/17/55 | N3422 | Convair 340 | Braniff International Airways | On field | Hit gas station sign on approach to 13R, flipped over, crashed |
| 08/05/55 | N74601 | Boeing 377 | Northwest Airlines | - | Landed 31L, couldn't stop, crashed through fence 55th & Central |
| 02/20/56 | N7404 | Vickers Viscount | Capitol | On field | Landing on 31L plane flopped in 300 feet short of threshold |
| 03/15/59 | N94273 | Convair 240 | American Airlines | - | Lost sight of 31L on approach, crashed in railroad yard one half mile south of field |
| 11/24/59 | N102R | L-1049H | Trans World Airlines | Came to rest 63rd & Kilpatrick | Plane departed 31L, fire on #2, circled to land 31L, crashed 0.2 miles southeast of field |
| 09/01/61 | N86511 | L-049 | Trans World Airlines | - | Plane departed Midway, lost elevator bolt, crashed near Hinsdale, Illinois |
| 12/08/72 | N9031U | 737-200 | United Airlines | 71st & Springfield | Aircraft descended too low on approach to 31L and struck houses, crashed 1.25 miles southeast of airport |
| 03/25/76 | N1EM | Lockheed Jetstar | Executive | On field | Pilot unfamiliar with plane attempted take off 13R, never airborne, crashed into fence 63rd & Cicero |
| 08/06/76 | N9446Z | B-25 Bomber | Air Chicago | - | Poor maintenance, plane took off 4L, lost engine 2, crashed 0.4 miles west of field |
| 12/08/05 | N471WN | 737-700 | Southwest Airlines | 55th & Central | Landed 31C during snowstorm, crashed through fence, hit 2 cars, killed child in car, 55th & Central |
INFORMATION SOURCED FROM: Civil Aeronautics Board archives, NTSB records, bukiri-research.
NOTE: The runway now designated 13C-31C was designated 13R-31L until 1989, when a new Runway 13R-31L was built. Runway 27L was closed and is now designated taxiway K.
Transit
Midway Airport is served by the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" trains. Passengers can board Orange Line trains at a station in the airport terminal, which runs to downtown Chicago and the Loop (transit time about 30 minutes). This same station doubles as a stop for many CTA-run buses that serve the surrounding areas. Midway is one of the few airports in the United States that have rapid transit train to terminal service.[21]
See also
★ O'Hare International Airport
★ Gary/Chicago International Airport
★ Chicago/Rockford International Airport
★ Proposed Chicago south suburban airport
References
1. 2005 North America Final Traffic Report : Total Passengers
2. 'It's a nightmare' for air travel
3. Southwest Airlines Fact sheet
4. Chicago Transportation: Chicago Midway Airport
5. Midway Airport Visitors Guide (History Section)
6. Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet: Top Ten Airports
7. History of Midway International Airport
8. Midway Airport in Chicago: Train and Bus Transportation - Connecting with Chicago's Other Airport
9. Early History/Post O'hare history
10. New Midway Terminal
11. Air Midwest Service
12. Midway Airlines
13. American to pull out of Chicago Midway
14. United to pull out of Chicago Midway
15. Big Sky Airlines Service
16. MDW FAA Information Effective 15 March 2007
17. Airfield Info
18. Monthly Operations, Passengers, Cargo Summary By Class For December 2006
19. Jet Slides Off Runway at Chicago's Midway
20. Jet Slides Off Chicago Runway; Boy Dies
21. Map of "L" Train to Midway
External links
★ Midway International Airport (official web site)
★ Midway International Airport: Terminal and Concourse Maps
★ TWA Crash of 1959
★ 1972 Crash Summary
★ Survey number HABS IL-305 - Midway Airport, South Terminal, Cicero Avenue between Fifty-fifth & Sixty-third Streets, Chicago, Cook County, IL
★
★
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