MILWAUKEE (WSAU) Midwest Airlines used to be the largest airline based in Milwaukee. The company that brought Midwest two years ago is now announcing major route and job cuts.

Frontier Airline will eliminate five non-stop routes from Mitchell Field in April, and will reduce its daily departures from 32 to 18. The airline has also notified the state's Department of Workforce Development that it will lay off about 500 workers.

Many of the flight crews based in Milwaukee live elsewhere. But the job cuts will also impact maintenance workers, baggage handlers, and gate staff that live in Wisconsin.