For the past few years, Midwest Airlines has suffered under the paltry leadership its VP, Carol Skornicka. Skornicka has overseen the decline the formerly great Midwest Express to the currently less than impressive Midwest Airlines.

Those days could be coming to and end.

With Skornicka’s announcement that she’s considering retiring at the end of 2007, Midwest has a real opportunity to recapture its once great name. Without the saddling of Skornicka, perhaps the airline can once again focus on being a great airline and focus less on personalities and its dallying with who should or should not have oversight of the airport.

Skornicka, an appointee of former Governor Tommy Thompson (R-Wisconsin), has dragged Midwest into the partisan soup by backing members of the GOP for the state legislature while working to defeat democrats. Is this smart for a business which works a lot with government bodies? Well let’s just say, ‘not so much’ — especially now that the State Senate is now held by Democrats.

It’s long overdue, but Skornicka’s retirement would be welcome news for anyone who longs to remember the glory days of Midwest Express.