✈️ Midway Surges 62% in Half a Year as Chicago Business Aviation Traffic Balance Tilts
Avi-Go data shows that from January to June 2026, business jet movements at Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW) climbed steadily from 2,569 in January to 4,165 in June, a 62.1% increase over six months, totaling 19,178 movements. Over the same period, Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) peaked at 3,345 movements in May before falling back to 3,080 in June, with the monthly gap between the two airports widening from about 199 movements in January to 1,085 in June. In terms of operator composition, the two airports are highly consistent, both dominated by NetJets, but KMDW's NetJets volume reached 5,217 movements—about 2.08 times that of KPWK—indicating higher concentration among the top players.
Impact: The continued buildup of top-tier capacity at Midway is reshaping the traffic landscape for business aviation in the Chicago metropolitan area, placing greater peak pressure on ground handling and slot resources centered on NetJets and Flexjet. KPWK's 7.9% month-over-month decline in June suggests that high-end traffic may be migrating toward Midway.
Recommendation: FBOs on the Midway side should launch third-quarter parking stand and ground service scheduling expansions within July 2026, prioritizing the securing of peak-hour resources for the two major fleets, NetJets and Flexjet. KPWK operators should assess before August 2026 whether the decline is a seasonal fluctuation, and make targeted adjustments to pricing and differentiated services to retain existing customers.