Carrier said to weigh possiblity of Chapter 11

Midwest Airlines is planning to eliminate a dozen fuel-hungry MD-80s from its fleet in late summer, according to press reports from Milwaukee. Those aircraft, which make up about a third of the airline’s fleet, are used mainly in charter service, leisure-oriented routes, and Midwest’s non-stop service from its Milwaukee hub to points on the west coast. The loss of the MD-80s means those routes are likely to be cut, the reports said. Most of Midwest’s aircraft are shorter-range Boeing 717s, which are more fuel-efficient. Although the airline hasn’t come out with specific schedule adjustments yet, press reports indicate that the loss of the MD-80s is likely to mean the end of non-stop service from Milwaukee to Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Midwest instead may offer one-stop routings via Kansas City to the west coast. Meanwhile, a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quoted a Midwest spokesman as saying that the airline’s management has not ruled out a Chapter 11 filing, although they hope to avoid it. It said the airline is also negotiating revised payment terms with creditors, and is asking employees for wage concessions.