2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay; Wisconsin airports brace for traffic surge
2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay; Wisconsin airports brace for traffic surge
Wisconsin airports are bracing for a significant surge in air travel due to the estimated 250,000 visitors for the 2025 NFL Draft.
MILWAUKEE - Air travel is about to take off at Wisconsin airports ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
Wisconsin airports brace for NFL Draft
What we know:
A whopping 250,000 people will descend on Titletown later in April for the league's second-biggest event. For Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, that means things will be incredibly busy.
Austin Straubel International Airport
In a typical week, Austin Straubel International Airport greets about 20,000 passengers. But from April 20 through April 26, that number is expected to double to 40,000.
What they're saying:
"We kind of relate the (NFL) Draft to our Super Bowl, that’s what it really is. "We’re expecting this to be the busiest week we have seen in the last 20 years," explained Marty Piette, Director of Austin Straubel International Airport. "Every airline has added additional frequencies."
Marty Piette
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Just for the NFL Draft, football fans can take new and additional nonstop flights to Titletown from Chicago, New York, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Detroit.
Carriers adding flights
What we know:
Head south on I-41 to Appleton, and it’s a similar story.
"We will see a 15-20% increase in flights and seats during the draft week," said Abe Weber, Director of Appleton International Airport.
In an effort to accommodate out-of-state guests for the draft, carriers are adding flights to Denver, and southern markets like Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, and Charlotte.
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"The busiest days are going to be on that Wednesday the 23rd and that Saturday, Sunday for going home traffic," Weber said.
MKE expecting business as usual
What we know:
Meanwhile, for the Wisconsin's largest airport, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), officials are expecting business as usual.
"It should be a pretty normal day around here," said Harold Mester, Director of Public Affairs and Marketing at MKE. "We have a lot of air service that comes in and out on a daily basis so while the airlines aren’t adding specific flights for the NFL Draft they feel they can absorb the traffic coming in on their existing schedules."
Hotels booking up
What we know:
But that doesn't mean Milwaukee will not feel the draft from Green Bay. VISIT Milwaukee reports area hotel bookings for that weekend have jumped from 10% in January to 60% – and climbing quickly.
As Northeast Wisconsin hotels sell out, Milwaukee’s are filling up, mainly with guests coming by car.
What they're saying:
"What we learned through this process this last year and talking to cities like Detroit and Kansas City is the draft is a driving market," said Josh Albrecht, VISIT Milwaukee Chief Marketing Officer. "Most of the fans are coming in from a six-hour drive, it’s really good for us that there’s a lot of major cities with NFL teams near Milwaukee near Green Bay."
Whether it's by plane, train, or automobile, Wisconsin is ready to welcome any football fan for the draft.
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For locals who want to get out of Green Bay for the draft, how does Florida sound? Austin Straubel International Airport is getting an added flight to Orlando, departing the day before the event starts, and returning the day after it ends.
The Source: The information in this post was provided in part by Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and VISIT Milwaukee.