Spirit Airlines will add new nonstop service between Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Detroit Metro Airport, beginning June 13.
The flights will operate on Fridays and Mondays, and are available for booking now through Spirit’s website and mobile app. Introductory fares start at $37 each way.
“At less than an hour of flight time, these new flights to the Motor City are significantly faster than dealing with the six-hour drive and Chicago traffic delays,” airport director Brian Dranzik said in a news release. “With these new flights, travelers can fly from our hometown airport and enjoy low fares on weekend trips to Detroit this summer.”
The only other airline offering direct flights between Milwaukee and Detroit is Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines.
Florida-based Spirit also recently added new flights between Milwaukee and Los Angeles, Baltimore and Nashville. With these new additions, the airline now offers nonstop flights to nine cities from Milwaukee.
Spirit’s new flights from MKE will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft featuring eight “big front seats” and 174 standard seats.
Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection last November, after years of losses. It was the first major U.S. carrier to file for Chapter 11 since 2011 and it reported a net loss of $1.2 billion last year. Long known as a no-frills discount airline, Spirit now plans to rebrand itself as a premium airline, as part of its turnaround strategy.
Passenger traffic at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport continues to improve and was up 5% in 2024, with more than 6.3 million passengers. That’s the highest level of passenger traffic at the airport since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but still remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Other articles about Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport:
- Spirit to add flights from Milwaukee to LAX, Baltimore and Nashville
- Southwest to expand service between Milwaukee and San Diego
- Passenger traffic at Mitchell International rose 5% in 2024
- Q&A: Busy year ahead for Mitchell International Airport
