11/13/1991: The First Midway Airlines Ceases Operations

DALLAS — Today, in 1991, the first incarnation of Midway Airlines (ML) ceased operations. The carrier, based at Chicago’s Midway Airport (MDW), was established in 1976.

At the time, MDW had lost nearly all of its scheduled flights to O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 allowed ML to commence operations on October 31, 1979.

Its initial fleet consisted of three ex-TWA Douglas DC-9s, with five more examples added a year later. New York (LGA) and Washington (DCA) quickly followed routes to Cleveland (CLE), Detroit (DTW), and Kansas City (MCI).

As well as its business-oriented routes, ML expanded its leisure operation. The airline flew to the Caribbean in 1984 following the purchase of Air Florida’s (AF) assets.

Boom Times

The carrier continued to grow in the mid-1980s under the tenure of CEO David R. Hinson. By 1988, ML had grown to become the largest operator at MDW, with 116 flights per day.

The airline's Midway Connection subsidiary, established in 1986 as a regional affiliate, operated a further 75 flights per day. ML would also operate a number of subsidiaries, including 'Connection,' 'Express, and 'Metrolink.'

In 1989, the airline added a base at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), which cost US$200 million to establish. It lasted less than a year and was eventually sold to US Airways (US) for US$67.5 million.

This financial loss and the rising fuel prices brought about by the Gulf War led ML to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 1991. Despite an attempt to sell the carrier to Northwest Airlines (NW), the deal fell through, and ML was grounded after 15 years of service.

Featured image: ML's fleet grew to include 14 Boeing 737-200s, 19 McDonnell Douglas MD-80s, and 64 DC-9s.