Alaska Airlines is adding a seasonal direct flight between Milwaukee and Portland, Oregon that will operate between June 5 and Aug. 26.
It’s the first nonstop flight ever to be offered between the two airports, according to Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.
“Oregon is a dynamic destination, and these new nonstop flights will be a big hit among travelers from Wisconsin and northern Illinois,” Abele said in a statement. “Portland has never been offered nonstop from MKE before, and this announcement is a testament to the outstanding partnership between Milwaukee County and Alaska Airlines.”
The flights, which will depart General Mitchell International Airport at 7:15 a.m. and arrive at Portland International Airport at 9:47 a.m., will operate daily during the summer months on Wi-Fi-equipped Embraer E175 jets. The jets can seat as many as 76 passengers.
Return flights will leave Portland at 11:10 p.m. and arrive in Milwaukee at 5:02 a.m.
“Until now, Milwaukee was one of the top 10 markets to which Portland didn’t have nonstop service,” said David Zielke, director of air service development for the Port of Portland, which oversees the Portland International Airport. “As a University of Wisconsin graduate, I am particularly excited by this new nonstop route.
“Go Badgers!” he added.
The added flight comes as traffic at Mitchell International continues to climb.
Through Nov. 30, 2016, passenger traffic at the airport had increased 3.27 percent to 6,244,680 compared to the first 11 months of 2015. The airport’s passenger traffic statistics for December have not yet been released.
Other airlines have also recently added flights at Mitchell International.
Frontier Airlines launched nonstop service from Milwaukee to Phoenix in November, to Philadelphia in June, and to Atlanta and Dallas in April. Southwest Airlines launched new daily nonstop service from Milwaukee to San Diego in August.
Delta Airlines has also announced it is planning to launch a new daily nonstop flight from Milwaukee to Seattle and a second direct flight to Boston in 2017.
Alaska’s new flight to Portland brings the total number of nonstop destinations from Milwaukee to 39.
“Alaska Airlines is proud to offer new, non-stop service to Portland for our travelers in the greater Milwaukee area,” said Alaska Airlines spokesperson Marianne Lindsey. “We look forward to welcoming guests onboard Alaska to the Rose City, an iconic Northwest destination for business and leisure.”
Alaska Airlines first began offering service from Milwaukee on July 1, 2015 with a nonstop route to Seattle.
