Drzewiecki Design - KMDW Chicago Midway XP12

Chicago Midway International Airport (IATA: MDW, ICAO: KMDW, FAA LID: MDW) is located on the southwest side of Chicago, roughly 8 miles (13 km) from downtown. Originally established in 1927 as Chicago Municipal Airport, it was renamed Midway in 1949 to honor the Battle of Midway during World War II. Midway was once the busiest airport in the world before the opening of O'Hare International Airport in the 1950s. Today, Midway serves as a vital hub for domestic air travel, especially for low-cost carriers. In 2019, the airport handled over 22 million passengers, making it the second-largest airport in the Chicago metropolitan area and the state of Illinois.

Midway is a major base for Southwest Airlines, which carries over 95% of the airport’s passengers, making Chicago its largest focus city. The airport has five runways, but due to its landlocked position within the city, it lacks space for expansion. Despite these constraints, the airport operates with high efficiency and serves over 70 nonstop destinations across the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The airport's layout consists of a single passenger terminal with three concourses (A, B, and C), featuring a variety of dining and shopping options for travelers.

Unlike Chicago O'Hare, which handles a large volume of international flights, Midway’s international services are primarily to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. The airport has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility to accommodate these flights, but most long-haul international travel in Chicago is routed through O'Hare. The airport’s terminal complex, completed in 2001, spans over Cicero Avenue and houses 43 gates with facilities for international arrivals. The Stevenson Expressway (I-55) runs adjacent to the airport, providing direct access to downtown Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Additionally, the CTA rapid transit Orange Line connects Midway to downtown, offering a fast and affordable public transit option for travelers.

The airport is a key part of Chicago’s aviation landscape, serving millions of travelers annually with a focus on convenience and efficiency. Its compact design, strategic location, and strong presence of low-cost carriers make it a preferred choice for many domestic travelers. Despite space constraints, ongoing modernization efforts, including expansions of security checkpoints and parking facilities, continue to improve the passenger experience. Midway remains an essential component of Chicago’s transportation infrastructure, preserving its legacy as a historic and vital airport in the region.

SCENERY FEATURES

• A high-quality model of KMDW Chicago Midway International Airport, featuring the up-to-date version with extensive details
• FPS-friendly design, with epic night textures, dynamic lighting and PBR materials
• Performance-friendly interior modeling at terminal buildings, control towers, and some hangars, static aircraft, advanced night lighting
• Animated jetways, VGDS, marshallers (SAM plugin)

• X-Plane 12
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 / 11 (64bit), Linux or macOS 10.15+
• Processor: Intel Core or AMD Ryzen CPU with at least 4 cores
• RAM: 8 GB (16 GB or more recommended)
• Graphics card: Vulkan 1.3-capable graphics card (AMD/Nvidia) with at least 6 GB VRAM (8+ GB recommended)
• Free hard disk space: 1.8 GB, SSD strongly recommended