Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports are adding more than 40 new and returning airline services in 2026. The expansion brings their combined network to nearly 300 destinations. Philippine Airlines’ new service from O’Hare to Manila establishes the first nonstop connection between the two cities.
American Airlines and United Airlines at O’Hare, together with Southwest Airlines at Midway, account for most of the additions. Other carriers contributed 10 services, including six international and four domestic additions. The total counts airline services, including instances where two carriers added flights to the same destination.
Manila Leads O’Hare’s International Expansion
Philippine Airlines operates three weekly flights between O’Hare and Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The nonstop service gives travellers in Chicago and the wider Midwest a direct option for family visits, business trips and holidays in the Philippines. Its three weekly departures also give tour operators a schedule around which to plan trips that begin or end in Manila.
Elsewhere at O’Hare, EgyptAir added nonstop service to Cairo and Volaris introduced flights to Puebla, expanding Chicago’s links with Egypt and central Mexico. Air Canada and Porter Airlines both added flights to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. That gives business and leisure passengers more choice when flying to an airport close to downtown Toronto.
United began daily flights to Tokyo Narita on 24 October, complementing its existing service to Tokyo Haneda. Passengers comparing the two Tokyo airports can weigh flight times alongside the onward journey to their hotel or final destination.
Midway Adds Mexico and Midwest Flights
Volaris launched nonstop flights from Midway to San Luis Potosí on 2 June. Together with its Puebla service at O’Hare, the addition gives Chicago travellers two more options for reaching central Mexico. The flights serve different cities from different airports, making the choice of departure point part of the trip.
Southwest added service between Midway and Milwaukee and restored flights to Des Moines and Wichita on 5 March. The additions expand regional access to Chicago and give passengers from those cities more options for connecting through Southwest’s Midway network. For visitors coming to Chicago itself, the flights provide another way to reach the city for meetings, events and short breaks.
American and United Drive Domestic Growth
American and United account for 27 of Chicago’s 34 domestic service additions in 2026. American’s additions include Kahului on Maui, Santa Barbara and Ontario in California, and Harlingen in Texas. It also added services to smaller markets including Erie, Lincoln, Marion and Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
United’s additions include Monterey, Santa Fe, St. George, Cody and Eugene, alongside regional connections to places such as Paducah, Owensboro and Lynchburg. Both carriers added service to Erie, Santa Barbara and the Shenandoah Valley, giving passengers more airline choice on those routes.
Other airlines broadened O’Hare’s domestic schedule. JetBlue added Fort Lauderdale, Delta Air Lines added Los Angeles, and Frontier Airlines added Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Florida and Puerto Rico services give passengers more options for coastal holidays, cruises and family visits. In the other direction, the regional additions give travellers in smaller markets more ways to reach Chicago and connect to longer flights.
Tokyo, Bermuda and Frankfurt Follow in 2027
Three international services are already scheduled to join O’Hare’s network in 2027. American plans to start daily flights to Tokyo Narita on 27 March, adding another carrier to the route United began serving in October. United plans to introduce a once-weekly Bermuda service on 3 April. Condor is scheduled to begin daily seasonal flights to Frankfurt on 14 May.
The different frequencies will shape how travellers use those flights. A daily service gives passengers more flexibility around business meetings and return dates. A weekly service to Bermuda is more likely to determine the length of a holiday, particularly for travellers who want to fly nonstop in both directions. Frankfurt’s seasonal schedule gives summer travellers another option for reaching Germany.
For Chicago’s visitor economy, the regional routes and long-haul additions serve different purposes. A regional flight can make a short visit to Chicago easier to arrange, while a new overseas service gives hotels and tour operators a direct link to another international market. For passengers planning a trip through the city, the airport matters as much as the destination. Checking whether each leg uses O’Hare or Midway can help them account for ground transport and avoid building an itinerary around an unintended airport transfer.
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