The above photo was taken as MD-82 N810ME (a converted MD-81) (48072/1011) Del. 02/25/1982
to Japan Air System (JAS) as JA8470 was on short final to Rwy 24R at LAX.
(Photo By Michael J. Carter)
Welcome to the Midwest Airlines page of my favorite airlines section. I hope you will find the information informative and enjoy viewing the photos which I have included.
Midwest Airlines can trace its roots back to 1984, when Kimberly-Clark Corporation inaugurated corporate air transport service for executives traveling between it headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin and its outlying businesses and company mills. In 1969, the company formed K-C Aviation, specializing in corporate aircraft maintenance. As this new division began to grow and demand for commercial air service in the local area increased, Kimberly-Clark executives, including Chief Pilot Timothy E. Hoeksema who managed K-C Aviation, won corporate approval to establish a small airline.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Kimberly-Clark, Midwest Express commenced operations on June 11, 1984 with one Convair 580 and a Douglas DC-9-14 aircraft operating routes from Appleton and Milwaukee to Dallas and Boston. The selection of cities was based on the fact that no other airline offered nonstop service in these specific markets.
In 1989 Midwest Express opened a 65,000-square-foot maintenance facility at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport and made the city its corporate headquarters. It also formed a commuter airline called Skyway Airlines. Mesa Airlines won a contract to operate the new airline until 1994, when Midwest Express took it
in-house.
With an initial public offering (IPO) in September 1995, Midwest Express was spun off Kimberly-Clark Corporation to become a stand-alone company. The mainline operation was steadily expanded. In addition to its fleet of DC-9-14/15 and DC-9-32 aircraft, 13 MD-80s were acquired for increased capacity in higher-density markets.
In 2002, a decision was made to simplify the corporation's image by re-branding its companies' names as Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect. "We know that some potential customers associate 'Express' with small regional airlines and also that the word doesn't really say anything about our exeptional service," said Hoeksema, by then the company's chairman and CEO.
A new corporate symbol was developed using two stylized wings. The solid gold wing evokes Midwest's strength as a company, with the second wing's curved lines symbolizing flight toward the future. The M cradled in the gold wing symbolizes the care and comfort provided to the airlines customers. Finally, a single arc passing through the solid gold wing and touching the M is a reminder of the attention paid to customers and employees alike. Midwest's new livery incorporates the symbol on the aircraft tail while retaining the traditional blue color used by the airline. The change over became effective March 1, 2003, following the delivery of the the first new Boeing 717-2BL a day earlier.
**Check out our story on Midwest Airlines and the delivery of it's first 717-2BL in Airliners Magazine No. 82 July/August 2003.**
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines Fleetlist **Updated** 02/11/2005
Midwest Airlines Boeing 717-2BL
Midwest Airlines Photo Gallery One
Midwest Airlines Photo Gallery Two
