Fuel Prices Force Midwest to Cut Schedule

Midwest Airlines and its regional-airline partner Midwest Connect - which flies Bombardier CRJ regional jets, as seen here - are cutting service to a number of destinations as a result of high fuel prices. The cuts essentially will reduce Midwest Airlines' schedule and network to the size it was in 2000. Midwest Airlines will drop service to three destinations and cut out nonstop flights to several others, while Midwest Connect will cut service to five cities. Credit: Derek Rust

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Citing the struggle with rising fuel costs, Midwest Airlines has announced it will cut its flight schedule, dropping flights to leisure destinations and retaining departures to core business destinations on which the company built its base.

The changes roll back the Milwaukee-based service to levels that existed at the start of the decade — before a recession and the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Flights to San Diego, as well as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Fort Myers., Fla. will be cut entirely. Tampa will be the only Florida city retaining year-round service from Midwest.

Nonstop flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle will also be dropped. Those flights will now stop in Kansas City, Mo., where the airline will pick up additional fuel and passengers.

Midwest Connect service will be cut to Baltimore; Hartford, Conn.; Louisville, Ky.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; and St. Louis.

Several cities will see no change. Departures to Atlanta; Boston; Denver; Minneapolis; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh, Tampa, Fla.; and Washington, D.C., will remain the same.

Midwest Airlines spokesman Michael Brophy said the airline will do its best to rebook passengers who have bought tickets for flights that are being canceled, and refunds passengers who can't be rebooked.

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