Word out of Frontier Airlines is that the carrier is cutting about a third of its flights from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport come November.

“[Frontier] told us that they will be going from approximately 67 flights a day about 46 departures per day,” confirms the airport’s spokeswoman, Pat Rowe.

Rowe says Frontier is axing Milwaukee flights to Green Bay, Milwaukee flights to Madison, Milwaukee flights to Des Moines, Milwaukee flights to Dayton, Milwaukee flights to Cleveland, and Milwaukee flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Frontier uses smaller regional jets on these routes.

Three of the six runs Frontier is eliminating currently enjoy no competition. That means, unless another carrier steps in, Green Bay (106 miles away), Madison (73 miles distance), and Dayton (293 miles away) will be bereft of nonstop flights to Milwaukee. People will either have to drive, or make connections via another airline.

On the other three routes Frontier is doing away with out of MKE there are alternatives. Discount airline AirTran offers nonstop Milwaukee flights to Des Moines via full-size Boeing 717-200s. Continental Express employs Brazilian-built Embraer Regional Jets on Milwaukee flights to Cleveland, while Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, and AirTran offer nonstop Milwaukee flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul.

When the dust settles, and fliers have either booked alternate airlines or taken to the highway, Frontier’s share of the Milwaukee market will be significantly diminished. Rowe says that, as of Aug. 2011, the carrier had 30.17 percent of the pie. AirTran had a 31.12 percent share.

In the grander sweep of things Frontier’s downsizing of Milwaukee is indicative of what’s happening all across the country. The economics – meaning fuel costs – of flying sub-50-seat regional jets often render routes less viable for the airlines. Rowe says Frontier told Milwaukee officials that cutbacks were “entirely revenue and profitability driven.”

What’s your take on this latest airline pullback? Has your hometown been hit by flight cutbacks? Let us know.

Story by Jerry Chandler

(Image: Andy on Flickr)