Saturday to be busiest day at Mitchell since pandemic began
Spring break has always been airport’s peak time
Saturday will be Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport’s busiest day for air travel since the COVID-19 outbreak began, airport officials say.
Saturday is the peak of the spring break travel season at the airport, with a second, smaller peak on April 3. Spring break is the airport’s busiest time of the year.
While travel overall has yet to rebound from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic that dealt a gut punch to the airline industry, the number of flights scheduled out of Milwaukee Saturday is similar to a record set in 2018.
The airport will be hopping tomorrow.
“Passengers should arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to departure,” according to a statement from the folks who run Mitchell. “Passengers should arrive two hours early if they are checking luggage.”
Wearing a mask is not optional. If you are traveling through an airport, federal regulations require you to wear a mask.
“Travelers are reminded that face masks are required throughout their entire journey,” according to the airport.
There are free masks available at the Travelers Aid Information Desk in the main terminal if you don’t have one or lose yours.
“The airport is prepared for the additional travelers with enhanced cleaning and safety measures,” said Christie Green, an airport spokeswoman, in an email.
All the airport terminal and gate areas are being disinfected “with a highgrade airborne sanitizing spray each night,” Green said.
Airport vendors have brought in extra staff and merchandise at shops and restaurants for the additional travelers this weekend, Green said.
As of Friday morning, airport parking lots were 57% full, Green said. The airport is recommending travelers reserve a spot ahead of time.
There are also extra shuttle buses scheduled for the weekend.
The popular coat check at Mitchell International is open and available to travelers, Green said. This allows you to leave your coat at the airport so you don’t have to drag it along with you to the beach.
(The forecast for Saturday in Milwaukee calls for showers and a high of 52 degrees. The coat check will take your raincoat, too.)
The coat check is available at the Summerfest Marketplace in the main terminal. The cost is $2 per day with a $10 maximum per trip.
In Milwaukee, airlines have scheduled 26 nonstop departures — 21 of them on Southwest Airlines — to Florida on Saturday, according to officials at Mitchell.
Those 26 nonstops to Florida tie a 2018 record for the most during the spring break season, airport officials said.