Chicago · Private aviation
Private aviation and FBO transfers in Chicago
Chicago Executive handles most of the region’s private movement, and it is nowhere near O’Hare.
| Route | Off-peak | Allow in peak |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Executive to the Loop | 40–50 min | 65–95 min |
| DuPage to Naperville | 15–20 min | 25–40 min |
| Midway to the Loop | 20–30 min | 35–55 min |
Every route is quoted for your exact addresses and confirmed in writing before you travel.
- Gratuity and airport fees included
- Rate agreed in writing, no surge pricing
- Free cancellation up to 2 hours before pickup
- Free waiting: 60 minutes at airports, 15 minutes elsewhere
The Chicago fields
Chicago Executive handles most of the region’s private movement, and it is nowhere near O’Hare. That single fact decides a lot of days. Private traffic here spreads across Chicago Executive north of the city, Midway, DuPage to the west and O’Hare itself, where private movements share a very busy field. The right one depends on whether your business is downtown, along the North Shore or out in the western corridor, and the difference between a good choice and a poor one is close to an hour. We work from the tail number and coordinate with the FBO rather than a published time.
Chicago Executive (PWK)
In Wheeling, north-west of the city, and the busiest private field in the region. It is well placed for the North Shore and the northern suburbs and a genuine drive from the Loop — longer than people expect, and longer again in the evening peak. Several FBOs operate here and the FBO name is what a vehicle needs.
DuPage (DPA) and Midway
DuPage sits west near Naperville and suits the western corporate corridor better than anything closer in. Midway takes private traffic as well as commercial and is the best private option for anyone whose business is genuinely downtown, because it is simply closer than the alternatives.
O’Hare private terminals
Private movements at O’Hare share the field with one of the heaviest commercial operations anywhere, which affects slots and ground movement rather than our access. The FBO facilities are well away from the passenger terminals, so a vehicle sent to the terminal address is a vehicle in the wrong place entirely.
Chicago winter operations and crew
De-icing changes the whole timeline
From December a departure slot and a wheels-up time are different things, sometimes by a long way, and the queue is invisible from the FBO lounge. We plan winter departures against the report time rather than the filed time and keep the vehicle available rather than releasing it at the door.
Crew movements as a programme
Crew transfers here are frequently recurring — the same operator, the same hotel, the same early positioning run. Those are set up as a standing arrangement with agreed pickup points and a named chauffeur, which matters more in a Chicago January than it does in most markets.
From the Chicago private fields
Door to FBO, ordinary conditions. These differences are the argument for choosing the field by destination rather than by habit.
| Route | Approx. distance | Off-peak | Allow in peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Executive to the Loop | 27 miles | 40–50 min | 65–95 min |
| Chicago Executive to the North Shore | 12 miles | 20–25 min | 30–45 min |
| DuPage to Naperville | 10 miles | 15–20 min | 25–40 min |
| DuPage to the Loop | 29 miles | 40–50 min | 65–95 min |
| Midway to the Loop | 11 miles | 20–30 min | 35–55 min |
| O’Hare FBOs to the Loop | 19 miles | 30–40 min | 55–80 min |
How Chicago private aviation transfers are priced
FBO transfers are quoted per route and confirmed in writing before you travel, with no surge pricing at any hour. Waiting time is measured against the actual movement rather than a filed time, which in a Chicago winter is the difference between a fair invoice and an argument.
Tell us the field and the FBO when you book and we will confirm coverage before you travel. If your meetings are downtown, ask us before you file — Midway may serve you better than the field you usually use.
Prefer to speak to someone? Dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day.
More in Chicago
Airport transfers
O’Hare and Midway — terminals, customs and winter timing
Corporate & roadshows
Loop days, suburban corridors and consolidated billing
Hotel transfers
The Magnificent Mile, River North and the Loop
Events & venues
McCormick Place, the United Center, Wrigley and the theatres
Universities & campuses
UChicago, Northwestern, Booth and the medical district
All Chicago services
Airports, districts and journey times across Chicago