P.M. BRIEFING : Midwest Express Airlines to Initiate Flights to California

Midwest Express Airlines today announced that it will begin service from Milwaukee to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.

The expansion will be a giant step for the 5 1/2-year-old airline. The carrier has flown only as far west as Denver.

Nonstop service to Los Angeles and direct service to San Diego will begin March 1. Direct service means there are stops, but passengers do not have to change planes.

It will add nonstop service to San Francisco and another direct flight to Los Angeles on March 19.

The service will create 107 jobs at the airline, bringing its total employment to 827, a spokeswoman for Midwest Express said. Of that total, 714 are based in Milwaukee, where the airline is headquartered.