Southwest to offer direct flight to Chicago Midway

Southwest Airlines will launch a nonstop flight between Spokane and Chicago’s Midway Airport starting June 2. The nonstop flights start June 2 and continue daily through Sept. 7. The service is considered seasonal and should be renewed the following year if passenger loads reach expected levels, said Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins. The Spokane-to-Midway flight will leave at 12:45 p.m., arriving at 6:05 p.m. The return flight leaves Midway at 10:25 a.m., arriving in Spokane at 12:10 p.m. This is the first time Southwest has offered direct flights between the two airports, Hawkins said. The airplane from Spokane that lands at Midway will refuel in Chicago and continue to Jacksonville, Fla., offering a one-stop, no-change option for that trip, Hawkins said. The same option applies for flights from Jacksonville to Spokane, he added. The new service will use the Boeing 737-700, which can carry 143 passengers.