Which Airlines Have Pilot Bases in Chicago? (2026 Guide)
- Jul 10
- 5 min read
Chicago is one of the most important places in the country to fly for a living. It's home to United Airlines' headquarters, a fortress hub for two of the three legacy carriers, and two major airports that between them domicile thousands of pilots. If you want to live in the Midwest and drive to work instead of commuting by jumpseat, a Chicago pilot base is one of the best cards you can be dealt.
This guide covers pilot bases specifically — the airports where pilots are actually domiciled and report for their trips — not hubs, focus cities, or route maps. A base (or crew domicile) is the airport a pilot is assigned to; every trip begins and ends there, no matter where the pilot lives. So which airlines actually have a pilot base in Chicago? As of 2026, eight Part 121 airlines domicile pilots across the city's two airports: O'Hare International (ORD) and Midway International (MDW).
First, a note on Chicago's two airports
Most big aviation cities have one primary airport. Chicago has two, and they serve very different roles — which matters a lot when you're figuring out where you'd actually report for work.
O'Hare (ORD) is a global mega-hub and one of the busiest airports on earth. It's the home of United and American's Chicago operations, plus the regional carriers that feed them.
Midway (MDW) is a compact, mostly point-to-point airport on the city's southwest side. It's overwhelmingly a Southwest airport.
The mainline majors based in Chicago
United Airlines — O'Hare (ORD)
O'Hare is United Airlines' primary hub and its single largest pilot domicile anywhere in the system. United is headquartered in Chicago, and ORD anchors a domestic base network that spans both coasts. For pilots, it means a huge volume of flying, an unusually wide fleet mix from narrowbodies to widebodies, and — historically — more seniority movement than you'd expect from a base this size.
American Airlines — O'Hare (ORD)
American Airlines also bases pilots at O'Hare, operating alongside United as one of the airport's two hub carriers. Within American's system, ORD has traditionally been one of the more senior narrowbody and widebody bases, so newer American pilots usually need to build seniority before they can hold it. (If a Chicago interview with American is on your horizon, our American Airlines logbook review guide walks through exactly what they check.)
Southwest Airlines — Midway (MDW)
Southwest Airlines carries the overwhelming majority of Midway's passengers, and MDW is one of the carrier's crew domiciles. It's a Boeing 737 base, in keeping with Southwest's single-fleet model. Worth flagging for anyone tracking the market: Southwest has been consolidating its Chicago flying at Midway, so MDW remains its Chicago pilot base going forward.
Frontier Airlines — O'Hare and Midway (ORD/MDW)
Frontier Airlines is the one carrier here whose Chicago base spans both airports. Frontier re-opened a Chicago pilot base in 2024 that supports its operations at O'Hare and Midway alike. The airline had maintained a Chicago base until 2022, closed it, then brought it back as its Chicago flying grew — a good reminder that bases follow the network.
The regional carriers based in Chicago
Chicago is also a crew base for the regional airlines that fly under the major brands (American Eagle, United Express). Four of them domicile pilots at O'Hare:
Envoy Air — O'Hare (ORD)
Envoy Air, a wholly-owned American Airlines regional flying as American Eagle, bases pilots at O'Hare. With American running roughly 450 daily departures from ORD, there's a lot of regional feed to support — and Envoy's flow-through agreement to American makes an ORD regional base attractive for pilots aiming at the mainline.
SkyWest Airlines — O'Hare (ORD)
SkyWest Airlines, one of the largest regionals in the country, also bases pilots at O'Hare. For SkyWest's CRJ fleet, ORD has historically been the junior domicile — meaning it's often one of the easier bases for a newly hired regional pilot to hold, which can matter enormously early in a career.
GoJet Airlines — O'Hare (ORD)
GoJet Airlines flies exclusively as United Express on the premium Bombardier CRJ-550, and O'Hare is one of its four crew bases (alongside Newark, Washington Dulles, and its St. Louis home). Because GoJet is tightly tied to United's Aviate program, an ORD base can be an appealing early step for a pilot targeting a United mainline seat.
Republic Airways — O'Hare (ORD)
Republic Airways, one of the country's largest regionals, operates an all-Embraer E170/E175 fleet for American, Delta, and United — and O'Hare is one of its crew bases. Within Republic's system, ORD has historically been one of the more senior domiciles, so a new-hire pilot may need to bid patiently or start elsewhere before holding it.
What a Chicago base means for your career
The takeaway for pilots is that Chicago offers unusual flexibility across every tier of the industry. If your goal is a legacy major, both United and American put a base right at O'Hare — and United's is its biggest anywhere. If you're building time at a regional and want a realistic shot at holding your home base early, SkyWest, Envoy, GoJet, and Republic all domicile at ORD — though how quickly you hold it varies a lot by carrier. And if the low-cost world appeals to you, Southwest at Midway and Frontier across both airports round out the picture.
A few practical realities to keep in mind:
Bases open and close with the network. Frontier's Chicago base — closed in 2022, reopened in 2024 — is a textbook example. Never assume a base is permanent.
Seniority governs everything. Whether you can hold Chicago at all, whether you sit reserve, and what you fly once you're there all come down to your seniority number.
O'Hare is growing. ORD is in the middle of a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar terminal expansion, which over time tends to shape how much each carrier grows at the airport.
If Chicago is where you want to be, the good news is that nearly every path into the industry — legacy, low-cost, and regional — has a home here.
Frequently asked questions
How many airlines have a pilot base in Chicago?
As of 2026, eight Part 121 airlines base pilots in Chicago: United, American, Southwest, Frontier, Envoy Air, SkyWest, GoJet, and Republic Airways. Six domicile pilots at O'Hare (ORD), Southwest is at Midway (MDW), and Frontier supports both airports.
Is O'Hare or Midway better for a pilot base?
It depends on the carrier you fly for. O'Hare is where United, American, and the regionals (Envoy, SkyWest, GoJet, Republic) domicile pilots, offering the widest range of mainline and regional flying. Midway is Southwest's base and offers a simpler, largely point-to-point 737 operation. Frontier is the only carrier that bases pilots across both.
Does United base pilots in Chicago?
Yes. Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is United Airlines' primary hub and its largest pilot domicile in the entire system.
Can I hold a Chicago base as a new-hire pilot?
It varies by carrier. ORD has historically been SkyWest's junior CRJ base, and Envoy and GoJet staff it heavily, so it's often attainable early. At Republic and the legacy majors (United, American), O'Hare tends to be more senior, so new-hire pilots may need to commute until their seniority lets them transfer in.
What's the difference between a hub and a pilot base?
A hub is where an airline concentrates flights and connections. A pilot base (or crew domicile) is where pilots are actually assigned and report for trips. The two often overlap, but not always — an airline can operate a large hub without basing pilots there.
Related guides
Bases and domicile assignments change with airline schedules and staffing. Always confirm current base availability directly with the carrier or your union before making career decisions.