The History of Milwaukee’s Hometown Airport
Few places are regularly referred to by their hometown airport’s three-letter International Air Transport Association (IATA) code, but “Milwaukee” and “MKE” are commonly interchangeable for those familiar with the city. With a name that feels synonymous with the city itself, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) also parallels Milwaukee in its size and demeanor—manageable and enjoyable, filled with friendly people, giving meaning to the term “Midwest Nice,” and all the amenities and services you’d expect from a much larger city (or airport.)
Classified as a “Medium Hub Airport,” MKE is Wisconsins largest and busiest airport, offering commercial nonstop flights to more than 30 destinations throughout North America, and connecting flights to the rest of the world. Today, MKE is not only the busiest airport, but the busiest building in the state, with over 6 million passengers moving through its doors in 2023. The airport has grown and evolved in many ways since its first flight took to the skies.
Ready for Takeoff
Milwaukees air travel history dates to July 1919, when the first county-operated airfield opened on the northwest edge of Milwaukee County. This original location, known then as Butler Airport and now known as Currie Park, made its mark in aviation history as home to the Lawson Airliner—Americas first take on a commercial aircraft. By October 1926, it was clear that Milwaukees aviation future required more room to grow, so the county board approved the purchase of a 162-acre lot from local Milwaukee aviator Thomas Hamilton. The new land, then known as Hamilton Airfield, would become the future home of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. And it didn’t take long for commercial aviation to takeoff from Milwaukee. Butler Airport closed shortly after the purchase, and MKEs first airport terminal, the Hirschbuehl Farmhouse, opened on the new site in July 1927. That same month, Northwest Airlines began welcoming passengers with commercial service from Milwaukee to Chicago and Minneapolis.
Approaching Cruising Altitude
In less than 15 years, the airport expanded to a new two-story terminal building, and its name was changed to “Billy Mitchell Field” after Milwaukees military advocate, Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell. Throughout the early 1950s, the airport grew its number of flight operations and began constructing an even larger terminal facility to keep up with demand. On July 19, 1955, a new three-concourse, two-level terminal equipped with 23 aircraft gates, opened on Howell Avenue, where MKE still operates today.
As Milwaukees aviation footprint continued to build, the airport itself also grew. In the late 1970s, a $44 million terminal expansion project made room for larger shops and an enlarged ticketing and baggage claim area. To keep up with its new appearance and to reflect the presence of United States Customs at the airport, on June 19, 1986, it was officially renamed another time to “General Mitchell International Airport.” A few years later, increasing air traffic and growing airline service led the airport to add even more gates, building its total number to 42 as of December 1990.
More recently, in 2007, eight new gates were added to MKEs Concourse C, a complete renovation of the baggage claim facility was completed in 2015, and in 2019, the airport’s name was changed once more to “Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport” to incorporate the airports location and anchor city into the name.
Over its lifetime, MKE has hosted some of the worlds largest aircraft, including the A380 (the worlds largest passenger jet), the Antonov 224 (the worlds largest cargo jet), and numerous visits by Air Force One. It also now serves as the primary diversion airport for Chicago’s O’Hare, accommodating a wide variety of aircraft from around the world.
Flying Sky High
Now, just shy of its 100th birthday, MKE operates like its own mini city. It has its own road network, parking locations, shops, restaurants, police force, and fire station. The airport is unique in its proximity to one of the busiest airports in the U.S. But what makes MKE shine is its ability to combine the convenience and ease of a small-town airport with the service and offerings of a larger airport—something a Chicago airport cant offer.
Travelers recognize MKE for the friendliness of its employees, ease of navigation, and affordability of its parking and fares. The airport radiates an energy reflective of Milwaukee itself. Its concession options are uniquely Wisconsin. With shops that are named after and embody historic local neighborhoods, the first-ever airport beer garden in the U.S. paying homage to the iconic beer barons of Milwaukee, and the only used bookstore in a U.S. airport, travelers from around the world get a taste of Wisconsin culture before even stepping foot out the door.
Milwaukees airport is one of only a handful of airports with its own Amtrak rail station. The Hiawatha line makes seven round trips per day from MKE to both downtown Milwaukee and Union Station in Chicago, making MKE easily accessible for travelers from both southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Another unique aspect of MKE lies just beyond its TSA checkpoints. The iconic “Recombobulation Area” provides travelers with both a smile and a proper place to reorganize their belongings after making their way through security.
With so much to offer, MKE has been repeatedly recognized for its outstanding customer experience. In 2021 and 2022, Airports Council International awarded MKE with a Best Airport North America award in the Air Service Quality (ASQ) program – a ranking of customer experience based on independent traveler surveys. The airport has also earned praise from other highly respected travel organizations. It ranked high in the J.D. Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study measuring overall traveler satisfaction and the Condé Nast Traveler 2022 Readers Choice Awards, which celebrated the worlds top experiences as voiced by travelers.
With an impressive track record of growth and an airport team focused on creating the best possible travel experience, the sky is truly the limit for the future of MKE.
For additional information on Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, visit mitchellairport.com.
Timmerman: Milwaukee’s Other Airport
A small airport with a big history
Timmerman Airport, Milwaukees other airport, sits on the northwest edge of the city on Hampton Avenue and 92nd Street, just a few miles north of the original site of Milwaukee’s first county-operated airfield. The airport that would one day become known as Timmerman was built in 1929 by Milwaukee Air Terminals, creating a place in Milwaukee for general aviation. It wasn’t long before the airport was sold to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation—a company formed by two historic figures in aviation: Glenn Curtiss, the father of naval aviation, and the Wright brothers, renowned for history’s first successful flight. When the sale occurred in 1936, the airport was renamed to (you guessed it) Curtiss-Wright Airport. This change in ownership also explains the use of the letters “C” and “W” (and “M” for Milwaukee) in its three-letter airport code: MWC. In 1945, after a few years of operation, the airport was briefly sold to Flightways, Inc. It was then purchased by Milwaukee County in 1947 as the county recognized the growing importance of general aviation in Milwaukee.
The Birthplace of EAA
Though Timmerman appears to be a small and unassuming airport, just over 75 years ago, it made history as the birthplace of one of the world’s largest and most well-known aviation organizations: the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
EAA began when three dozen Milwaukee-area aviation enthusiasts came together to establish what would later become a worldwide organization with more than 270,000 members and 900 local chapters. In January 1953, the original EAA group was formed and led by former military aviator Paul Poberezny. In September of that same year, the first EAA fly-in was held at Curtiss-Wright Airport, creating the foundation for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh as we know it today.
That very first fly-in had fewer than 150 people registered as visitors, arriving primarily by homebuilt and modified aircraft. From 1953 to 1958, the fly-in gathering continued in Milwaukee but quickly began to outgrow its airport space. In 1959, Curtiss-Wright Field was renamed Timmerman Field after former Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lawrence J. Timmerman. That same year, the EAA fly-in moved to Rockford Municipal Airport in Rockford, Illinois, where it would stay for the following decade before finding its current home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Timmerman Today
Today, Timmermans original main hangar is still in use and bestows the Curtiss-Wright emblem reminiscent of its historic past. It serves as Milwaukees general aviation airport, providing professional aviation services for private aircraft and flight training for hopeful new aviators. The airport continues to engage the Wisconsin general aviation community with annual flying contests, including its “Flour Drop Contest” held in June, where pilots and their crews drop bags of flour out the windows of their aircraft with the hope of hitting a target on the airfield, and a “Spot Landing Contest” held in September, which tests pilots’ landing skills as they aim to touch down directly aligned with a designated runway marking. Visit TimmermanAirport.com for dates and details.
Brian Dranzik, Milwaukee County Airport Director
Brian Dranzik has served as Airport Director for both Milwaukee County airports, General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and Lawrence J. Timmerman Airport (MWC), since October of 2017. Appointed by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, the role of Airport Director is no small task, as more than 7 million passengers are expected to use MKE this year.
Brian’s experience in transportation includes leadership roles in the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation, including several years as the Director of Transportation for Milwaukee County. Dranzik has previously served as Interim Airport Director in 2015-16, when he oversaw the completion of MKE’s $40 million baggage claim remodeling project, welcomed Alaska Airlines and other new air service, and was instrumental in continuing the airport’s long-term planning process.
Brian’s vision for MKE includes redeveloping Concourse E (which was recently closed) into a state-of-the-art, flexible-use terminal, allowing for both international and domestic arrivals and departures. He also envisions a revamped concession mall area in the main terminal that will provide a stronger “Milwaukee” sense of place.
Brian holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has extensive experience in urban planning, mass transit planning, highway maintenance, and fleet management.
An avid golfer, Brian enjoys taking to the fairways in Wisconsin and around the world. He lives in Fox Point with his wife, two sons, and two dogs.