View source for Midway International Airport

{{Short description|Airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States}}
{{Redirect|MDW}}
{{Other uses|Midway Airport (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox airport
| name                = Chicago Midway International Airport
| image               = Midway_International_Airport_Logo.svg
| image2              = Midway Airport Airfield.jpg
| image-width         = 
| image2-width        = 
| IATA                = MDW
| ICAO                = KMDW
| FAA                 = MDW
| WMO                 = 72534
| type                = Public
| owner-oper          = Chicago Department of Aviation
| city-served         = [[Chicago metropolitan area]]
| location            = [[Clearing, Chicago|Clearing]] and [[Garfield Ridge, Chicago|Garfield Ridge]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| opened              = {{start date and age|1927|12|12}}<ref name="encyclopediaofchicago"/>
| operating_base      = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  | [[Frontier Airlines]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.flyfrontier.com/frontier-airlines-launches-new-nonstop-routes-from-chicago-midway--mdw-becomes-frontiers-primary-airport-in-chicago/ | title=Frontier Airlines Launches New Nonstop Routes from Chicago Midway; MDW Becomes Frontier's Primary Airport in Chicago }}</ref>
  | [[Southwest Airlines]]<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Southwest Airlines Announces New Crew Base for Pilots and Flight Attendants at Nashville International Airport (BNA) |date=August 14, 2023 |url=http://swamedia.com/releases/nashville-crew-base?lang=en-US |language=en |access-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106094620/https://swamedia.com/releases/nashville-crew-base?lang=en-US |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
| timezone            = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc                 = [[UTC−06:00]]
| summer              = CDT
| utcs                = [[UTC−05:00]]
| elevation-f         = 620
| publictransit       = [[List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes|CTA Bus System]], {{rcb|CTA|Orange}} [[Pace (transit)|Pace Suburban Bus]], [[River Valley Metro Mass Transit District|River Valley Metro]] 
| website             = {{URL|https://flychicago.com/midway}}
| coordinates         = {{coord|41|47|10|N|87|45|09|W|region:US-IL|display=inline,title}}
| image_map           = KMDW FAA Airport Diagram.svg
| image_map_caption   = [[FAA]] airport diagram
| mapframe            = yes
| mapframe-zoom       = 9
| mapframe-wikidata   = yes
| r1-number           = 4L/22R
| r1-length-f         = 5,507
| r1-surface          = Asphalt
| r2-number           = 4R/22L
| r2-length-f         = 6,445
| r2-surface          = Asphalt/concrete
| r3-number           = 13L/31R
| r3-length-f         = 6,522
| r3-surface          = Concrete
| r5-number           = 13R/31L
| r5-length-f         = 3,859
| r5-surface          = Concrete
| stat-year           = 2024
| stat1-header        = Aircraft operations
| stat1-data          = 223,637
| stat2-header        = Passenger volume
| stat2-data          = 21,513,521
| stat3-header        = Cargo tonnage (metric tons)
| stat3-data          = 15,669.0
| footnotes           = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]]<ref name=FAA>{{FAA-airport|ID=MDW|use=PU|own=PU|site=04508.*A}}. effective April 17, 2025.</ref> Midway International Airport<ref>{{cite web|title= Year to Date Operations-Passengers, Cargo Summary December 2024 |url=https://www.flychicago.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Business/FactAndFigures/AirTraffic/1224%20MDW%20SUMMARY.pdf|website=flychicago.com|access-date=March 21, 2025}}</ref>
}}

'''Chicago Midway International Airport''' {{airport codes|MDW|KMDW|MDW}} is a major commercial [[airport]] on the southwest side of [[Chicago]], Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19&nbsp;km) from the city's [[Chicago Loop|Loop]] business district, and divided between the city's [[Clearing, Chicago|Clearing]] and [[Garfield Ridge, Chicago|Garfield Ridge]] communities. Established in 1927, Midway served as Chicago's primary airport until the opening of [[O'Hare International Airport]] in 1944. Midway is one of the busiest airports in the nation and the second-busiest airport in both the [[Chicago metropolitan area]] and the state of [[Illinois]], serving 22,050,489 passengers in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doa/provdrs/dbata/news/2024/march/03062024.html|title=O'Hare, Midway Airports Saw Strong Passenger Growth in 2023|website=chicago.gov|accessdate= March 13, 2025}}</ref>

Midway is a base for [[Southwest Airlines]],<ref>Schulte, Sarah. "[https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8051631/ SWA flights take off at Midway, airline's largest hub] ." ''[[WLS-TV]]''. April 4, 2011. Retrieved on April 4, 2011.</ref> which carries over 90% of the passengers at the airport. The airport was named in honor of the [[Battle of Midway]]. The defunct [[Midway Airlines (1976–1991)|Midway Airlines]], once headquartered at Midway, took its name from the airport. The airfield is located in a square mile bounded by [[55th Street (Chicago)|55th]] and 63rd Streets, Central and [[Cicero Avenue]]s. The terminal complex was completed in 2001. The terminal bridges Cicero Avenue and contains 43 gates with facilities for international passengers. The [[Chicago Transit Authority|CTA]] rapid transit [[Orange Line (CTA)|Orange Line]] provides transit to Downtown Chicago, where it connects with other subway/elevated rapid transit lines.

==History==
{{Multiple image
|align=left
|image1=Chicago Midway Airport 1956 TWA Constellation American United Airlines Vintage 16mm Film.webm
|image2=1956 Chicago Midway Airport scenes.webm
|footer=Midway Airport in 1956}}
[[File:MDW 13.JPG|thumb|Sculpture at Chicago–Midway]]
[[File:MDW 10.JPG|thumb|[[Douglas SBD Dauntless]]  on static display as part of the [[Battle of Midway|Midway]] memorial]]
{{clear left}}

===Early history (1923–1962)===
Originally named '''Chicago Air Park''',<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=http://destinations.usatoday.com/chicago/transportation/ |title=Chicago Transportation: Chicago Midway Airport |work=USA Today |date=May 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102194813/http://destinations.usatoday.com/chicago/transportation/ |archive-date=January 2, 2007 }}</ref> Midway Airport was built on a {{convert|320|acre|adj=on}} plot in 1923 with one [[Scoria|cinder]] runway mainly for [[airmail]] flights. In 1926, the city leased the airport and on December 12, 1927 named it '''Chicago Municipal Airport'''.<ref name="encyclopediaofchicago">{{cite web | url =http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/828.html | title =Midway Airport | publisher =Encyclopedia of Chicago | access-date =August 16, 2012 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120814070335/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/828.html | archive-date =August 14, 2012 | url-status =live }}</ref> By 1928, the airport had twelve hangars and four runways, which were lit up for night operations.<ref name="history" />

A major fire early on June 25, 1930, destroyed two hangars and 27 aircraft, "12 of them tri-motor passenger planes." The loss was estimated at more than two million dollars. The destroyed hangars belonged to the [[Universal Air Lines Corporation|Universal Air Lines, Inc.]] and the Grey Goose Airlines, the latter under lease to [[Stout Air Services|Stout Air Lines]]. The fire followed an explosion of undetermined cause in the Universal hangar.<ref>Associated Press, "27 Planes Burn In Chicago Fire", ''Sarasota Herald'', Sarasota, Florida, Wednesday 25 June 1930, Volume 5, Number 224, page one.</ref>

[[File:Midway chicago.jpg|thumb|right|The Chicago area, featuring Chicago Midway and [[O'Hare International Airport|O'Hare]] International Airports]]
In 1931, a new passenger terminal opened at 62nd St;<ref name="history" /> the following year the airport claimed to be the "[[World's busiest airport|World's Busiest]]" with over 100,846 passengers on 60,947 flights.<ref name="visitorsguide">{{cite web | url =http://www.flychicago.com/news/pdf/MDWVisitorsGuide2005Revised.pdf | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080414001228/http://www.flychicago.com/news/pdf/MDWVisitorsGuide2005Revised.pdf | archive-date =April 14, 2008| title = Midway Airport Visitors Guide (History Section) | publisher=FlyChicago.com | date = May 12, 2007}}</ref> (The July 1932 [[Official Airline Guide|Official Aviation Guide]] (OAG) shows 206 scheduled airline departures a week.)

More construction was funded in part by $1 million from the [[Works Progress Administration]]; the airport expanded to fill the square mile in 1938–41 after a court ordered the [[Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad]] to reroute tracks that had crossed the square along the northern edge of the older field.

The March 1939 OAG shows 47 weekday departures: 13 on United, 13 American, 9 TWA, 4 Northwest, and two each on Eastern, Braniff, [[Capital Airlines (United States)|Pennsylvania Central]], and [[Chicago and Southern Air Lines|C&S]].<ref>{{Citation |year=1939 |title=Official Aviation Guide |publisher= Official Aviation Guide Company |location=Chicago IL }}</ref> New York's airport (Newark, then LaGuardia by the end of 1939) was then the busiest airline airport in the United States, but Midway passed LaGuardia in 1948 and kept the title until 1960.<ref name="history" /> The record-breaking [[1945 Japan–Washington flight]] of B-29s refueled at the airport on their way to Washington, DC.

In July 1949, the airport was renamed after the [[Battle of Midway]].<ref name="visitorsguide" /> That year, Midway saw 3.2 million passengers. In 1959, passenger count peaked at 10 million.<ref>This [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm66qtg65DY video of Chicago Midway Airport in 1954] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130142028/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm66qtg65DY |date=November 30, 2015 }} shows the increase in traffic that Midway Airport experienced during the 1950s.</ref> The diagram on the January 1951 C&GS approach chart shows four parallel pairs of runways, all {{convert|4240|ft}} or less, except for the {{convert|5730|ft|adj=on}} runway 13R (current runway 13C) and the {{convert|5230|ft|adj=on}} runway 4R.

The April 1957 OAG shows 414 weekday fixed-wing departures from Midway: 83 [[American Airlines|American]], 83 [[United Airlines|United]], 56 [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]], 40 [[Capital Airlines (United States)|Capital]], 35 [[North Central Airlines|North Central]], 28 [[Delta Air Lines|Delta]], 27 [[Eastern Air Lines|Eastern]], 22 [[Northwest Airlines|Northwest]], 19 [[Ozark Air Lines|Ozark]], 11 [[Braniff International Airways|Braniff]], 5 [[Trans-Canada Air Lines|Trans-Canada]], and 5 [[Lake Central Airlines|Lake Central]]. [[Air France]], [[Lufthansa]], and REAL (of Brazil) had a few flights per week.<ref>{{Citation |year=1957 |title=Official Airline Guide |publisher= American Aviation Publications |location=Washington DC }}</ref>

Midway, being surrounded by buildings on all sides, meant that the airport was unable to expand; its runways were too short to safely handle larger four-engine jetliners (the [[Boeing 707]] and the [[Douglas DC-8]]) that appeared in 1959. Instead, Chicago jet flights were directed to use O'Hare, which had opened to airlines in 1955. Lighter aircraft like turboprops [[Lockheed L-188 Electra|Lockheed L-188 Electra']]s and [[Vickers Viscount]]s could have continued to fly out of Midway, but O'Hare's new terminal opened in 1962, allowing airlines to consolidate their flights. From July 1962 until July 1964 when United returned, Midway's only scheduled airline was Chicago Helicopter. In August 1966, a total of four fixed-wing arrivals were scheduled, all United 727s (United was alone at Midway until early 1968).

===Post-O'Hare reconstruction (1963–1993)===
By 1967, reconstruction began at the airport, adding three new [[Concourse|concourses]] with 28 gates and three ticket counters,<ref name="visitorsguide" /> and in 1968, the city invested $10&nbsp;million in renovation funds.<ref name="history" /> (For a few months during the 1967 renovation, Midway had no scheduled airline flights.){{cn|date=March 2025}} The funds partly supported construction of the [[Stevenson Expressway]], and Midway saw the return of major airlines that year, with 1,663,074 passengers<ref>''Airport Activity Statistics'' shows 208,086 total enplanements in 1968.</ref> on smaller-capacity, shorter range twin-jet and [[trijet]] airliners such as the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]], [[BAC One-Eleven]], [[Boeing 727]], and [[Boeing 737]] that could use Midway's runways, which the [[Boeing 707]] and [[Douglas DC-8]] could not.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In 1982, the city of Chicago purchased Midway Airport from the [[Chicago Board of Education]] for $16&nbsp;million.<ref name="history">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.flychicago.com/events/KidsPage2006/MidwayHistory.shtm 
 |title=History of Midway International Airport 
 |publisher=Fly Chicago 
 |date=April 28, 2007 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606142133/http://www.flychicago.com/events/KidsPage2006/MidwayHistory.shtm 
 |archive-date=June 6, 2007 
}}</ref> Three years later, [[Southwest Airlines]] began operations at Midway.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/factsheet.html#Top%20Ten%20Airports
| title = Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet: Top Ten Airports
| publisher = Southwest Airlines
| date = May 12, 2007
| access-date = April 8, 2007
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120424012255/http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/history/fact-sheet.html#Top%20Ten%20Airports
| archive-date = April 24, 2012
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Midway was a focus city for [[Vanguard Airlines]] from 1997 to 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2775.html|title=Midway Airlines|publisher=Encyclopedia of Chicago|date=April 27, 2007|access-date=April 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423150615/http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2775.html|archive-date=April 23, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Carlton Midway Inn moved to allow the [[Chicago Transit Authority]] to create a [[Midway station (CTA)|new CTA terminal]] at the airport on [[Halloween]] of 1993. This development helped launch the [[Chicago "L"|Chicago 'L']] [[Orange Line (CTA)|Orange Line]], connecting Midway to the Loop.<ref name="visitorsguide" /> Midway Airport serves as the terminus for the Orange Line, which traverses the southwestern section of the city before encircling the Loop. In contrast to the CTA Blue Line, which operates continuously throughout the day, the Orange Line runs from approximately 4:00 am to 1:00 am, nearly providing 24-hour service with trains arriving at intervals of about 8 minutes. For those traveling during the overnight hours, the N62 Archer bus offers an alternative mode of transportation. The journey from Midway to the Loop takes roughly 25 minutes once the train has departed.

===Years of ATA (1994–2008)===
In 1996, after failing to get his [[Proposed Chicago south suburban airport|Lake Calumet Airport]] and having received harsh criticism for the idea of turning the airport into an industrial park, Chicago [[Richard M. Daley|Mayor Richard M. Daley]] announced the Midway Airport Terminal Development Program, which was launched the following year. At the time, it was the largest public works project in the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetracon.com/MidwayHistory.htm |title=Early History/Post O'hare history |publisher=The Tracon |date=April 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010043335/http://www.thetracon.com/MidwayHistory.htm |archive-date=October 10, 2013 }}</ref> The Midway Airport parking garage opened in 1999, bringing covered parking to the airport for the first time. The garage is connected to the Midway terminal building for convenient access to ticket counters and baggage claim areas.<ref name="visitorsguide" />

Continuing with the expansion project, a pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue was built in the year 2000, connecting the new terminal to the new concourses.<ref name="history" /> In 2001 the new {{convert|900000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} Midway Airport terminal building opened to the public with larger ticket counters, spacious baggage claim areas, traveler information, and a short walking distance to the gates.<ref name="visitorsguide" /> A {{convert|50000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} food court opened as well, with Chicago-style food and retail options.

The expansion project culminated with a short-lived period of great airline diversity at Midway, as [[Vanguard Airlines]], [[National Airlines (1999–2002)|National Airlines]] and [[AirTran Airways]] all expanded their services to the airport.

[[ATA Airlines]] (ATA), also known as [[ATA Connection]], whose primary hub was at Midway, took over [[Chicago Express Airlines]]. Chicago Express served as a regional airline connecting to airports around the [[Great Lakes]] regions.

Following the [[September 11 attacks]], which resulted in a drop of passenger service, alongside other problems for the airline industry, both Vanguard and National ceased operations at Midway, making it defunct by 2002, with MetroJet being dissolved and refolded into the [[US Airways]] main line in late 2001.

In 2002, Midway welcomed the return of international service after a 40-year absence, with the opening of the new Federal Inspection Service facility in Concourse A.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/midway/|title=New Midway Terminal|newspaper=Airport Technology |publisher=Airport-Technology.com|date=April 6, 2007|access-date=April 6, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208192554/http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/midway/|archive-date=December 8, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=domain on WP:BLACKLIST|date=June 2016}}

In June 2004, Mayor Daley and airline officials celebrated the completion of the Terminal Development Program.<ref name="history" /> The project, designed by [[HNTB]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hntb.com/our-work/projects/chicago-midway-airport-%E2%80%93-chicago-illinois|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701113937/http://www.hntb.com/our-work/projects/chicago-midway-airport-%E2%80%93-chicago-illinois|url-status=dead|title=HNTB – Chicago Midway Airport|archive-date=July 1, 2012}}</ref> resulted in the addition of 14 gates (from 29 to 43).<ref name="history" /> A new 6,300-space economy parking garage, including a new bridge and roadway for buses shuttling passengers to and from the terminal, opened in December 2005.<ref name="history" />

[[ATA Airlines]] began rapid expansion at Midway in the early 2000s (decade), and was the airport's dominant carrier prior to 2004, using 14 of the 17 gates in Concourse A.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://ata.com/about_ata/company_information/facts.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080328103513/http://www.ata.com/about_ata/company_information/facts.html | archive-date =March 28, 2008| title = ATA Facts| publisher=ATA Airlines | date = December 1, 2007}}</ref> However, after the airline declared bankruptcy in October 2004, scheduled service from Midway significantly decreased.

For over 16 years, Midway had been the main [[airline hub|hub]] for [[Indianapolis]]-based ATA, but the airline announced in March 2008 that it would end all flights from Midway on June 7, 2008.<ref name="ATA Press Release">{{cite web|url=http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-06-2008/0004769303&EDATE= |title=ATA Airlines to Discontinue Scheduled Service at Chicago's Midway Airport |publisher=PR Newswire |work=ATA Airlines |date=6 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314142651/http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F03-06-2008%2F0004769303&EDATE= |archive-date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> Before this, ATA had filed for bankruptcy on April 2, 2008,<ref>{{cite web |title=ATA Airlines files for bankruptcy |url=https://money.cnn.com/2008/04/03/news/companies/ata_bankruptcy/ |website=[[CNN]].com |access-date=2024-05-11 |date=3 April 2008}}</ref> and ceased all flights the following day.<ref name=mw>{{Cite web |last=Hinton |first=Christopher |date= 2008-04-03|title=ATA shuts down as airline files for bankruptcy |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ata-airlines-shuts-down-in-wake-of-chapter-11-filing|access-date= 2025-03-30|website=MarketWatch |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2008, [[Porter Airlines]], which flies between Midway and [[Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport]], was the only international route served from Chicago–Midway after [[ATA Airlines]], which had flights to [[Mexico]], ceased operations in April that year. On December 13, 2010, a second carrier, [[Volaris]], began flights between [[Guadalajara]] and Midway.

Starting in early 2009, a construction project added a new walkway and food court to Concourse A. The project also connected gates A4A and A4B to the main A concourse. Expansions were completed in the spring of 2010.

===Privatization attempts===
Chicago has considered privatizing the airport, but the deals fell through in 2009 and 2013.

On April 20, 2009, a $2.5&nbsp;billion deal to [[privatize]] the airport via a 99-year lease fell through, when the consortium could not put together financing. The city would have kept $125&nbsp;million in the down payment. The consortium operating under the name of Midway Investment and Development Company LLC consisted of [[Vancouver Airport Services]], [[Citigroup|Citi]] Infrastructure Investors, and Boston's [[John Hancock Insurance|John Hancock Life Insurance]]. It was awarded the contract in October 2008 by the [[Chicago City Council|City Council]], which voted 49–0 in approval to it. The consortium would have operated the airport and collected airport parking, concession, and passenger facility charges. However, Chicago would have continued to provide fire and police services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/|title=Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=July 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419220724/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/mar/12/business/chi-biz-sears-tower-name-change-willis-march12|archive-date=April 19, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2013, Mayor [[Rahm Emanuel]] terminated new negotiations to privatize the airport, noting that the process was no longer competitive after one of the two finalists had backed out. The one remaining was Great Lakes Airport Alliance – a partnership of [[Macquarie Group|Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets]] and [[Ferrovial]]. Macquarie was one of the investors in the Chicago Skyway. The group that backed out was a group that included the Australia-based Industry Funds Management and [[Manchester Airports Group]]. The Great Lakes proposal had been valued at $2 billion and would have involved a 40-year lease.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324577304579057483001629874 Chicago Halts Airport Lease – WSJ.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314105319/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324577304579057483001629874 |date=March 14, 2016 }}. Online.wsj.com (September 5, 2013). Retrieved on September 18, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/09/06/emanuel-halts-midway-privatization-bidding/ Emanuel halts Midway privatization bidding – Chicago Tribune] . Articles.chicagotribune.com (September 6, 2013). Retrieved on September 18, 2013.</ref>

=== Modernization program ===
Construction began on expansions of the security checkpoint and main parking garage. The bridge spanning Cicero Ave was widened from {{convert|50|ft}} to over {{convert|400|ft}}, allowing up to 17 security lanes and a streamlined queue.<ref name="mp">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flychicago.com/sites/midwaymodernization/projects/Pages/checkpoint.aspx|title=Midway modernization|website=www.flychicago.com|language=en-us|access-date=2018-09-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916060144/https://www.flychicago.com/sites/midwaymodernization/projects/Pages/checkpoint.aspx|archive-date=September 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Because the current terminal opened just a few months prior to the September 11th attacks, the security area was quickly rendered too small for the new screening measures and was subsequently forced to expand inward, taking away from space in the concourses. The space that was reclaimed by moving security outward into the bridge will be redeveloped with an expansion of the central food court. The main parking garage was extended eastward over the CTA L tracks to add 1,500 spaces and to streamline the entrance way.<ref name="mp"/> In addition to the redeveloped central food court, new concession options will open in phases, including a food court in Concourse A, utilizing previously unused space built during the 2010 rebuild of the Gate A4A/B connecting walkway.<ref name="mp"/> The program is the largest capital improvement project at the airport since the 2001 terminal redevelopment and has been fully completed.

==Facilities==
[[File:MDW 5.JPG|thumb|Main corridor at Chicago–Midway prior to expansion]]
[[File:MDW 6.JPG|thumb|[[Southwest Airlines]] check-in ticket counters]]

All terminals and hangars were on the square periphery. By the late 1970s, the shorter north–south and east–west runway pairs had been closed; some were converted into taxiways. The other four runways remain in use, all strengthened and enhanced, at still about the same lengths. A short runway (13R/31L) for light aircraft was added in 1989.

Chicago Midway International Airport covers just over one square mile ({{convert|650|acres|disp=or}})<ref name="FAA" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://skyvector.com/airport/MDW/Chicago-Midway-International-Airport|title=MDW airport data at skyvector.com|website=skyvector.com}} FAA data effective April 17, 2025.</ref> and has four active runways:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://airnav.com/airport/KMDW|title=AirNav Data for MDW Airport|website=airnav.com|accessdate= September 24, 2024}}</ref>

* 13L/31R: {{convert|6522|x|150|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, air carrier runway, [[Instrument landing system|ILS]]-equipped
* 4R/22L: {{convert|6445|x|150|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, air carrier runway, ILS-equipped
* 4L/22R: {{convert|5507|x|150|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, general aviation and air taxi
* 13R/31L: {{convert|3859|x|60|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, light aircraft only

Midway is surrounded by buildings and other development, so the landing thresholds of the runways are [[displaced threshold|displaced]] to provide obstacle clearance. The [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] and the airlines ensure safety by adhering to calculated load limits and various weather minimums. Because of the displaced landing thresholds, the runways have shorter distances available for landings than for takeoffs. 13L/31R, the longest runway in Midway, only has an available landing distance of {{convert|6059|ft|m}} in the southeast direction, and {{convert|5826|ft|m}} to the northwest. The largest aircraft normally seen at Midway is the [[Boeing 757]]. Normally, commercial planes only take off from, and land on, runways 4R/22L and 13L/31R. The other runways are used by smaller aircraft and, per the US [[FAA]] [[Airport/Facility Directory|Chart Supplement]], are restricted from use by large commercial aircraft, except for emergencies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chart Supplement Search|url=https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/dafd/search/|publisher=[[FAA]]|access-date=24 November 2021}} Full link updates regularly: Search for MDW</ref> Former runway 13L/31R was permanently closed after 82 years on August 9, 2023, and was converted to Taxiway H.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chicago Midway Decommissioning Closed Runway 13L-31R|url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2025-06-02/chicago-midway-decommissioning-closed-runway-13l-31r|access-date=22 July 2025}}</ref>

===Terminal===
Midway has 43 aircraft gates on three concourses.<ref name="MidwayConcourses">{{cite web |title=Midway Airport Map |url=https://www.flychicago.com/midway/map/Pages/default.aspx |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref>

*'''Concourse A''' has 17 gates.<ref name="MidwayConcourses" />
*'''Concourse B''' has 23 gates.<ref name="MidwayConcourses" /> 
*'''Concourse C''' has 3 gates.<ref name="MidwayConcourses" />

==Airlines and destinations==
===Passenger===
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{{Airport destination list 
<!--DO NOT ADD TERMINAL/CONCOURSE INFORMATION TO THIS TABLE AS IT VIOLATES [[WP:NOTTRAVEL]]-->
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| [[Allegiant Air]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Allegiant Interactive Route Map|url=https://www.allegiantair.com/interactive-routemap|access-date=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717045737/https://www.allegiantair.com/interactive-routemap|archive-date=July 17, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> | [[Asheville Regional Airport|Asheville]], [[Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport|Destin/Fort Walton Beach]], [[McGhee Tyson Airport|Knoxville]], [[Punta Gorda Airport (Florida)|Punta Gorda (FL)]], [[Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport|Savannah]]
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| [[Delta Air Lines]]<ref name="DeltaRoutes">{{cite web|title=FLIGHT SCHEDULES|url=https://www.delta.com/flightinfo/viewFlightSchedulesSetup.action|access-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621123636/http://www.delta.com/flightinfo/viewFlightSchedulesSetup.action|archive-date=June 21, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> | [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]] 
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| [[Delta Connection]]<ref name="DeltaRoutes"/> | [[Detroit Metropolitan Airport|Detroit]], [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport|Minneapolis/St. Paul]]
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| [[Frontier Airlines]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel/my-trips/route-map/?mobile=true|title = Route Map| newspaper=Frontier Airlines }}</ref> | [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]], [[Baltimore/Washington International Airport|Baltimore]], [[Dallas Fort Worth International Airport|Dallas/Fort Worth]], [[Denver International Airport|Denver]], [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport|Houston–Intercontinental]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas]], [[Miami International Airport|Miami]], [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]],<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://news.flyfrontier.com/frontier-airlines-continues-network-growth-with-15-new-routes-launching-fall-2025/|title=Frontier Airlines Continues Network Growth With 15 New Routes Launching Fall 2025|work=Frontier Airlines|date=July 22, 2025|access-date=July 22, 2025}}</ref> [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]], [[Philadelphia International Airport|Philadelphia]], [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor]], [[Tampa International Airport|Tampa]]
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| [[Porter Airlines]]<ref name="PorterRoutes">{{cite web|title=Fly porter destinations|url=https://www.flyporter.com/en-ca/book-flights/where-we-fly/route-map|access-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227151656/https://www.flyporter.com/en-ca/book-flights/where-we-fly/route-map|archive-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> | [[Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport|Toronto–Billy Bishop]]<ref>{{OAGWorldJuly2025Ref|title=Toronto, ON, Canada YTO|pages=1156-1162}}</ref>
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| {{nowrap|[[Southwest Airlines]]}}<ref name="SouthwestRoutes">{{cite web|title=Check Flight Schedules|url=https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html|access-date=20 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202053931/https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> | [[Albany International Airport|Albany]], [[Albuquerque International Sunport|Albuquerque]], [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]], [[Austin–Bergstrom International Airport|Austin]], [[Baltimore/Washington International Airport|Baltimore]], [[Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport|Birmingham (AL)]], [[Logan International Airport|Boston]], [[Buffalo Niagara International Airport|Buffalo]], [[Hollywood Burbank Airport|Burbank]], [[Cancún International Airport|Cancún]], [[Charleston International Airport|Charleston (SC)]], [[Charlotte Douglas International Airport|Charlotte]], [[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport|Cincinnati]], [[Cleveland Hopkins International Airport|Cleveland]], [[Colorado Springs Airport|Colorado Springs]], [[John Glenn Columbus International Airport|Columbus–Glenn]], [[Dallas Love Field|Dallas–Love]], [[Denver International Airport|Denver]], [[Des Moines International Airport|Des Moines]] (resumes March 5, 2026),<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest Adds New City, 17 Routes|url=https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/08/14/southwest-adds-new-city-18-routes/|date=August 14, 2024|access-date=August 14, 2024}}</ref> [[Detroit Metropolitan Airport|Detroit]], [[El Paso International Airport|El Paso]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Southwest Airlines Extends Flight Schedule With New International Options And Most-Ever Departures|date=October 26, 2023|url=https://swamedia.com/releases/release-d5bda4d2c147f577fd1d8c167c5baaab-southwest-airlines-extends-flight-schedule-with-new-international-options-and-most-ever-departures|access-date=October 27, 2023|archive-date=November 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101194653/https://swamedia.com/releases/release-d5bda4d2c147f577fd1d8c167c5baaab-southwest-airlines-extends-flight-schedule-with-new-international-options-and-most-ever-departures|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport|Fort Lauderdale]], [[Southwest Florida International Airport|Fort Myers]], [[Gerald R. Ford International Airport|Grand Rapids]], [[Bradley International Airport|Hartford]], [[William P. Hobby Airport|Houston–Hobby]], [[Indianapolis International Airport|Indianapolis]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/money/2024/12/17/southwest-brings-back-indianapolis-to-chicago-midway-nonstop-flight/77055243007/|title=Southwest brings back a Midwest connection in string of nonstop flights – 17DEC24|publisher=IndyStar|date=17 December 2024|accessdate=20 December 2024}}</ref> [[Jacksonville International Airport|Jacksonville (FL)]], [[Kansas City International Airport|Kansas City]], [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas]], [[Long Beach Airport|Long Beach]], [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]], [[Louisville International Airport|Louisville]], [[Manchester–Boston Regional Airport|Manchester (NH)]], [[Memphis International Airport|Memphis]], [[Miami International Airport|Miami]], [[Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport|Milwaukee]] (begins March 5, 2026),<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest Adds New City, 17 Routes|url=https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/08/14/southwest-adds-new-city-18-routes/|date=August 14, 2024|access-date=August 14, 2024}}</ref> [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport|Minneapolis/St. Paul]], [[Sangster International Airport|Montego Bay]], [[Myrtle Beach International Airport|Myrtle Beach]], [[Nashville International Airport|Nashville]], [[Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport|New Orleans]], [[LaGuardia Airport|New York–LaGuardia]], [[Norfolk International Airport|Norfolk]], [[Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport|Oakland]], [[OKC Will Rogers International Airport|Oklahoma City]], [[Eppley Airfield|Omaha]], [[Ontario International Airport|Ontario]], [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]], [[Philadelphia International Airport|Philadelphia]], [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor]], [[Pittsburgh International Airport|Pittsburgh]], [[Portland International Airport|Portland (OR)]], [[Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport|Providence]], [[Punta Cana International Airport|Punta Cana]], [[Raleigh–Durham International Airport|Raleigh/Durham]], [[Richmond International Airport|Richmond]], [[Sacramento International Airport|Sacramento]], [[Salt Lake City International Airport|Salt Lake City]], [[San Antonio International Airport|San Antonio]], [[San Diego International Airport|San Diego]], [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]], [[San Jose International Airport|San Jose (CA)]], [[Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport|Sarasota]], [[Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport|Savannah]], [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Seattle/Tacoma]], [[St. Louis Lambert International Airport|St. Louis]], [[Tampa International Airport|Tampa]], [[Tucson International Airport|Tucson]], [[Tulsa International Airport|Tulsa]], [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Washington–National]], [[Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport|Wichita]] (resumes March 5, 2026)<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest Adds New City, 17 Routes|url=https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/08/14/southwest-adds-new-city-18-routes/|date=August 14, 2024|access-date=August 14, 2024}}</ref> <br />'''Seasonal:''' [[Boise Airport|Boise]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-launching-5-new-24-returning-routes-2023-2?amp | title=Southwest launching 5 new and 24 returning routes in 2023 | website=[[Business Insider]] }}</ref> [[Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport|Bozeman]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Palm Springs International Airport|Palm Springs]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240730-wn1q25|title=Southwest Airlines 1Q25 Network Changes – 29JUL24|publisher=AeroRoutes|date=30 July 2024|accessdate=30 July 2024}}</ref> [[Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport|Panama City (FL)]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Pensacola International Airport|Pensacola]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Portland International Jetport|Portland (ME)]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Reno-Tahoe International Airport|Reno/Tahoe]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Greater Rochester International Airport|Rochester (NY)]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Los Cabos International Airport|San José del Cabo]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport|San Juan]],{{cn|date=March 2025}} [[Spokane International Airport|Spokane]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest Airlines June 2025 Network Additions |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241105-wnjun25add |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=5 November 2024}}</ref>
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| [[Volaris]]<ref name="VolarisRoutes">{{cite web|title=Volaris Flight Schedule|url=http://cms.volaris.com/en/travel-with-volaris/flight-information/complete-timetable-of-our-flights/|access-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227151536/http://cms.volaris.com/en/travel-with-volaris/flight-information/complete-timetable-of-our-flights/|archive-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> | [[Aguascalientes International Airport|Aguascalientes]], [[Durango International Airport|Durango]], [[Guadalajara International Airport|Guadalajara]], [[Bajío International Airport|León/Del Bajío]], [[General Francisco Mujica International Airport|Morelia]], [[Zacatecas International Airport|Zacatecas]]
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}}

==Ground transportation==
[[File:Orange Line Trains at Midway.jpg|thumb|[[Orange Line (CTA)|Orange Line]] trains at [[Midway station (CTA)|Midway station]]]]
The airport terminal is connected by a walkway to [[Midway station (CTA)|Midway station]]. The station serves as a major local bus station for [[Chicago Transit Authority]] buses, and is the western terminus of the [[Chicago "L"]] [[Orange Line (CTA)|Orange Line]]. The Orange Line connects the airport to [[The Loop (CTA)|The Loop]] in the city center, with a travel time of approximately 30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2024 |title=Orange Line ‘L' Timetable |url=https://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/6/rail-tt_orange.pdf |access-date=May 12, 2025 |publisher=[[Chicago Transit Authority]]}}</ref> Midway station is also served by suburban bus operator [[Pace (transit)|Pace]], and [[River Valley Metro Mass Transit District|River Valley Metro]] operates regional services to [[Manteno, Illinois|Manteno]] and [[Bourbonnais, Illinois|Bourbonnais]] in [[Kankakee County, Illinois|Kankakee County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rivervalleymetro.com/schedules-maps/commuter-routes/midway-airport/|title=Midway Airport Shuttle|access-date=January 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2023 |title=RTA System Map |url=https://www.pacebus.com/sites/default/files/2023-10/system%20map%20for%20web%202023Sep27.pdf |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>

==Statistics==
===Top destinations===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|+ Busiest domestic routes from MDW (August 2024 - July 2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?20=E&Nv42146=ZQj&Nv42146_anzr=Puvpnt1,%20VY:%20Puvpnt1%20Zvq9nB%20V06r40n6v10ny&pn44vr4=SNPgf|title=Chicago, IL: Chicago Midway International (MDW)|publisher=[[Bureau of Transportation Statistics]], [[United States Department of Transportation]]|access-date=November 12, 2025}}</ref>
! Rank
! City
! Passengers
! Carriers
|-
| 1
| {{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)}} [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta, Georgia]]
| 429,270
| Delta, Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 2
| {{flagicon|Arizona}} [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona]]
| 405,550
| Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 3
| {{flagicon|Florida}} [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando, Florida]]
| 396,080
| Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 4
| {{flagicon|Nevada}} [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas, Nevada]]
| 390,590
| Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 5
| {{flagicon|Colorado}} [[Denver International Airport|Denver, Colorado]]
| 376,280
| Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 6
| {{flagicon|New York (state)}} [[LaGuardia Airport|New York–LaGuardia, New York]]
| 323,600
| Southwest
|-
| 7
| {{flagicon|Texas}} [[Dallas Love Field|Dallas–Love, Texas]]
| 276,810
| Southwest
|-
| 8
| {{flagicon|Minnesota}} [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport|Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota]]
| 256,480
| Delta, Southwest
|-
| 9
| {{flagicon|Texas}} [[William P. Hobby Airport|Houston–Hobby, Texas]]
| 252,730
| Southwest
|-
| 10
| {{flagicon|Maryland}} [[Baltimore/Washington International Airport|Baltimore, Maryland]]
| 238,490
| Frontier, Southwest
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|+ {{nowrap|Busiest international routes from MDW<br>(January 2024 – December 2024)<ref name="internationalreport">{{cite web|title=BTS Air Carriers : T-100 International Market (All Carriers)|url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/DL_SelectFields.asp?Table_ID=260|access-date=April 13, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615032027/https://www.transtats.bts.gov/DL_SelectFields.asp?Table_ID=260|archive-date=June 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

! Rank
! Airport
! Passengers
! Carriers
|-
| 1
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Cancún International Airport|Cancún, Mexico]]
| 142,177
| Frontier, Southwest
|-
| 2
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[General Francisco Mujica International Airport|Morelia, Mexico]]
| 139,406
| Volaris
|-
| 3
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Guadalajara International Airport|Guadalajara, Mexico]]
| 98,744
| Volaris
|-
| 4
| {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport|Toronto–Billy Bishop, Canada]]
| 81,196
| Porter
|-
| 5
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Bajío International Airport|León/Del Bajío, Mexico]]
| 75,826
| Volaris
|-
| 6
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Aguascalientes International Airport|Aguascalientes, Mexico]]
| 72,918
| Volaris
|-
| 7
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Zacatecas International Airport|Zacatecas, Mexico]]
| 45,336
| Volaris
|-
| 8
| {{flagicon|Dominican Republic}} [[Punta Cana International Airport|Punta Cana, Dominican Republic]]
| 43,426
| Southwest
|-
| 9
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Durango International Airport|Durango, Mexico]]
| 39,307
| Volaris
|-
| 10
| {{flagicon|Jamaica}} [[Sangster International Airport|Montego Bay, Jamaica]]
| 38,592
| Southwest
|}

===Airline market share===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|+Top airlines at MDW<br />(August 2024 - July 2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1 |title=RITA &#124; BTS &#124; Transtats |publisher=Transtats.bts.gov |access-date=12 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525054818/https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1 |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! Rank
! Airline
! Passengers
! Percent of<br>market share
|-
| 1
| [[Southwest Airlines]]
| 17,076,000
| 91.96%
|-
| 2
| [[Frontier Airlines]]
| 834,000
| 4.49%
|-
| 3
| [[Delta Air Lines]]
| 304,000
| 1.64%
|-
| 4
| [[SkyWest Airlines|SkyWest]]
| 214,000
| 1.15%
|-
| 5
| Others
| 135,000
| 0.76%
|}

===Airport traffic===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Annual passenger traffic at MDW<br />2000–Present'''<ref name=CAS>{{cite web|url=https://flychicago.com/business/CDA/factsfigures/Pages/airtraffic.aspx|title=Midway Airport Air Traffic Data 2000-Present|website=flychicago.com|accessdate=March 14, 2025}}</ref>
! Year !! Passengers !! Year !! Passengers
|-
| 2000||15,672,688||2016|| {{increase}} '''22,677,589'''
|-
| 2001||{{decrease}} 15,628,886||2017|| {{decrease}} 22,460,236
|-
| 2002|| {{increase}} 16,959,229||2018|| {{decrease}} 22,027,737
|-
| 2003|| {{increase}} 18,644,372||2019|| {{decrease}} 20,844,860
|-
| 2004|| {{increase}} 19,718,236||2020|| {{decrease}} 8,853,948
|-
| 2005|| {{decrease}} 17,862,838||2021|| {{increase}} 15,893,595
|-
| 2006|| {{increase}} 18,868,388||2022|| {{increase}} 19,916,643
|-
| 2007|| {{increase}} 19,378,855||2023|| {{increase}} 22,050,489
|-
| 2008|| {{decrease}} 17,345,635||2024|| {{decrease}} 21,513,521
|-
| 2009|| {{decrease}} 17,089,365||2025||
|-
| 2010|| {{increase}} 17,676,413||2026||
|-
| 2011|| {{increase}} 18,883,170||2027||
|-
| 2012|| {{increase}} 19,516,127||2028||
|-
| 2013|| {{increase}} 20,474,552||2029||
|-
| 2015|| {{increase}} 22,221,499||2030||
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
On December 8, 1972, [[United Air Lines Flight 553]], a [[Boeing 737-200]], crashed into a residential area outside Midway during landing. The crash of the 737-200 killed 43 of the 61 on board, and two on the ground. One of the victims on the plane was Dorothy Hunt, the wife of [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]] conspirator [[E. Howard Hunt]]. She was carrying $10,000 in cash. [[James W. McCord Jr.|James McCord]] alleged that she supplied the Watergate defendants with money for legal expenses.<ref name="St. Petersburg Times">{{cite news|title=Crash Mrs. Hunt Died In Blamed On Pilot Error|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oOpRAAAAIBAJ&pg=2905%2C2476956|access-date=May 26, 2013|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=September 28, 1973|agency=UPI|location=St. Petersburg, Florida|page=16–A|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121101555/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oOpRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_nIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2905%2C2476956|archive-date=November 21, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Thirty-three years later, on December 8, 2005, [[Southwest Airlines Flight 1248]], a [[Boeing 737-700]] inbound from [[Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport|Baltimore–Washington International Airport]] in [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]], slid off the runway while attempting to land at the airport in a heavy snow storm.<ref name="BBC1" /> The airplane broke through the barrier fence of the airport and came to rest at the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue bordering the airport at its northwest corner.<ref name="BBC1" /> Seven people were injured and a 6-year-old boy, who was a passenger in a vehicle struck by aircraft, was killed after the plane struck two vehicles in the intersection.<ref name="BBC1">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4512360.stm|title=Boy dies as jet skids off runway|date=December 9, 2005|publisher=BBC News|access-date=February 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101054243/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4512360.stm|archive-date=January 1, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ List of all major incidents at MDW
! style="width:60px;"|Date!!Registration!!Aircraft<br>type!!Carrier!!Location!!Summary
|-
|May 31, 1936||NC14979||DC-2||Trans World Airlines||-||On approach to the west airstrip (later designated Runway 27L), 1 engine out, strong gusts, crashed half a mile east of field. All survived.
|-
|December 4, 1940||NC25678||DC-3A||United Airlines||6356 S. Keating Ave.||Pilot lost sight in bad weather and crashed on landing approach resulting in ten deaths.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |page=12 |work=The Tuscaloosa News |date=December 6, 1940|title=Plane Crash Toll at Nine}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |page=1 |work=The Montreal Gazette |date=December 5, 1940|title=6 Dead in Crash of U.S. Airliner}}</ref>
|-
|May 20, 1943||''42–7053''||B-24E||U.S. Army Air Force||3625 W. 73rd St.||On approach, disoriented in bad weather, hit huge gas storage tank {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} southeast. 12 fatalities on plane and ground.<ref>Chicago, Illinois, "Gas Tank Quiz Promised in Air Disaster – Bomber Crash Kills 12 on Board", ''Chicago Daily Tribune'', May 21, 1943, page 1.</ref><ref>War Department, U.S. Army Air Forces Form 14, Report of Aircraft Accident, May 25, 1943.</ref>
|-
| {{nowrap|September 26, 1946}}||NC19939||DC-3||Trans World Airlines||West of 96th Ave. at 97th St.||Midair collision with Boeing PT-17, which crashed, killing two. The DC-3 limped in to Midway. 
|-
|July 2, 1946||NC28383||DC-3||Trans World Airlines||-||Crashed {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} northeast of field. All survived.
|-
|March 10, 1948||NC37478||DC-4||Delta Air Lines||5000 W. 55th St.||Plane took off on 36R, at {{convert|150|ft|m}} went vertical, at {{convert|500|ft|m}} nosed over, crashed on 55th St.  12 fatalities.
|-
|March 26, 1949||NC90736||DC-6||American Airlines||-||Hit power lines on approach. All survived.
|-
|December 8, 1949||NC86501||L-049||Trans World Airlines||-||Landing too far down (then designated) 13R, crashed through fence, ended up at 63rd and Cicero. All survived.
|-
|January 4, 1951||N79982||C-46||Monarch Airlines||-||Overloaded taking off on (then designated) 31L, could not climb, crashed on railroad tracks one half-mile northeast.  All survived.
|-
|September 16, 1951||N74689||C-46||Peninsula Transport||-||Belly-landed {{convert|500|yd|m}} away at northeast 63rd and Harlem. All survived.
|-
|March 3, 1953||N6214C||L-1049||Eastern Airlines||On field||Landed on (then designated) 31L, gear collapsed, skidded southwest toward Hale School.  All survived.
|-
|July 17, 1955||N3422||Convair 340||Braniff International Airways||On field||Hit gas station sign on approach to (then designated) 13R, flipped over, crashed. 22 fatalities.
|-
|August 5, 1955||N74601||Boeing 377||Northwest Airlines||-||Landed on (then designated) 31L, could not stop, crashed through fence at 55th and Central.  All survived.
|-
|February 20, 1956||N7404||Vickers Viscount||Capitol||On field||Landing on 31R, plane flopped in {{convert|300|ft|m}} short of threshold.  All survived.
|-
|March 15, 1959||N94273||Convair 240||American Airlines||-||Lost sight of (then designated) 31L on approach, crashed in railroad yard one half-mile south of field.  All survived.
|-
| {{nowrap|November 24, 1959}}||N102R||L-1049H||Trans World Airlines||Came to rest 63rd and Kilpatrick||Plane departed (then designated) 31L, fire on engine No. 2, circled to land 31L, crashed {{convert|0.2|mi|km}} southeast of field. All three persons aboard were killed, along with eight more on the ground.
|-
|[[TWA Flight 529|September 1, 1961]]||N86511||L-049||Trans World Airlines||-||Plane departed Midway, lost elevator bolt, crashed near Hinsdale, Illinois, resulting in 78 deaths.
|-
|[[United Airlines Flight 553|December 8, 1972]]||N9031U||737-200||United Airlines||71st and Springfield||Aircraft descended too low on approach to 31L (now 31C) and struck houses, crashed {{convert|1.25|mi|km}} southeast of airport, causing 43 fatalities aboard the aircraft and two on the ground.
|-
|March 25, 1976||N1EM||Lockheed Jetstar||Executive||On field||Pilot unfamiliar with plane attempted take off on 13R (now 13C), never became airborne, crashed into fence 63rd and Cicero. Four fatalities.
|-
|August 6, 1976||N9446Z||TB-25N||Air Chicago||61st and Moody Avenue||Poor maintenance, and first flight of the plane in two years. It took off 4L, lost engine 2, and crashed {{convert|0.4|mi|km}} west of field, killing two aboard and one on the ground.
|-
|[[Southwest Airlines Flight 1248|December 8, 2005]]||N471WN||737-700||Southwest Airlines||55th & Central||Landed 31C during a snowstorm, crashed through a fence, hit 2 cars, killed a child in car on 55th St. and Central Ave.
|}

<small>Source: Civil Aeronautics Board archives, NTSB records.</small>

<small>'''Note:''' Prior to 1941, the runways did not have numerical designations. The runway now designated 13C/31C was designated 13R/31L from 1941 until 1989, when a new Runway 13R/31L was built. Runways 27L, 27R, 36L and 36R were closed by 1973.</small>

==See also==
{{Portal|Chicago|Illinois|Aviation}}
* [[List of airports in Illinois]]
* [[Gary/Chicago International Airport]]
* [[Chicago Rockford International Airport]]
* [[Meigs Field]]
* [[Illinois World War II Army Airfields]]`
* [[2014 air traffic control facility fire]]
* [[Chicago Union Station]]
* [[Juice Wrld#Death|Death of JuiceWRLD]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

* Branigan, Michael. ''A History of Chicago's O'Hare Airport'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2011) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jHp2CQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT5&dq=related:MBVR_rCxrg0J:scholar.google.com/&ots=w2IPlMJAcW&sig=rQX4Aq2bjqQMeE-X-6Pz8A_5b3s online].

* Casey, John A. ''Chicago Aviation and Airports: The First Forty Years, 1926–1966'' (1966).

* Kent, David E. ''Midway Airport'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2013)  [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CN5B1HQrxDYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA6&dq=related:MBVR_rCxrg0J:scholar.google.com/&ots=U5LxJhgqzx&sig=0l-VxnmKVVFVvmfo4p45U3xz0ic online]

* Vaillant, Derek. "Midway Airport" ''Encyclopedia of Chicago''. (2004) [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/828.html online]

==External links==
{{commons category|Chicago Midway International Airport}}

*{{Official website |1=http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/home/Pages/default.aspx}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160205072119/http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/atairport/map/Pages/default.aspx Midway: Terminal and Concourse Maps]
*[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19591124-0&lang=en TWA Crash of 1959]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080212001944/http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/disasters/flight533_crash.html 1972 Crash Summary]
*[http://galleries.apps.chicagotribune.com/chi-130523-history-midway-international-airport-pictures/ Early Midway images]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@N08/8096614400/sizes/h Airport diagram for 1959]
*{{HABS |survey=IL-305 |id=il0380 |title=Midway Airport, South Terminal, Cicero Avenue between Fifty-fifth & Sixty-third Streets, Chicago, Cook County, IL}}
*{{FAA-diagram|00081}}{{US-airport|MDW}}

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[[Category:Midway International Airport| ]]
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[[Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Illinois]]
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