Chicago Midway International Airport Private Jet Charter Prices
Private Jet Charter to and from Chicago Midway International Airport
Paramount Business Jets offers private jet charter flights and luxury airliner charters to and from Chicago Midway International Airport.
Chicago Midway International Airport is a great option to avoid the chaos at Chicago O’Hare International, the city’s major airport.
As a reliever airport – a big reliever airport – it allows elite travelers who want to charter a jet at Chicago Midway to get in and out of the city in a flash.
Located only eight miles from Chicago’s Loop, Midway handles more than 22 million passengers on 250,000 flights annually. And, the best thing is that the private section of the airport has amenities that go above and beyond those of many other smaller airports.
Chicago Midway’s airport code is MDW. Its ICAO code is KMDW.
Whether you rent a private jet to MDW on business, charter a private jet out of MDW after meeting up with your Northwestern, Loyola, University of Chicago or other college buddies or hire a private jet at MDW to go shopping and see the sights, you’ll find that Chicago Midway is indeed your best option.
For while it’s smaller than O’Hare, MDW is by no means a small airport. According to the Federal Aviation Commission, Chicago Midway, in 2016, was the 25th busiest airport in the country.
Airport Information
FBOs at Midway
There are two fixed-base operators at Chicago Midway International Airport to meet the needs of elite travelers in their own or chartered private jets. They are:
Atlantic Aviation
Atlantic Aviation MDW has recently renovated its facility to better serve all aircraft. In addition to standard services such as crew cars and heated hangars, Atlantic Aviation MDW also has valet parking, ramp Wi-Fi and a concierge who will arrange anything you need.
Amenities include:
Atlantic Aviation FBO at Midway. Picture Source.
- Heated hangar space (up to Gulfstream G650)
- Wi-Fi in facility and on ramp
- Charter, international, cargo, ground handling and forklift services
- Air stairs
- Type I & IV de-icing
- Pilot’s lounge, snooze rooms and showers
- Crew cars
- 24-hour surveillance
- Public notary
- Conference rooms with teleconferencing
- Customs and immigration
Signature Flight Support
Everything you need – and an Egg McMuffin, too. A reviewer on Signature’s website talks about skipping the breakfast they had planned after their guests showed up earlier than expected for the flight. They loaded up the plane and got ready to go and just as they were ready to leave, a Signature employee ran up and handed them a bag of McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches. A kindness they appreciated. If you don’t need a Sausage Biscuit, here are some of the other amenities Signature offers:
Signature Flight Support FBO at Midway. Picture Source.
- 24-hour surveillance
- Agricultural clearance
- Conference rooms
- Customs and immigration
- Fireplace
- Passenger lounge
- Snooze room
- Vending machines
- WiFi
- 200,000 sq. ft. hangar
- 275,000 sq. ft. ramp
Midway has had its ups and downs
Chicago Municipal Airport, which opened in 1927, was renamed Chicago Midway in 1949 in honor of those who fought and served during the Battle of Midway in 1942. (The Battle of Midway took place on a tiny cluster of islands, the Midway Atoll, in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are roughly midway between Tokyo and San Francisco.
Before 1962, when O’Hare International and its longer, larger runways took over as Chicago’s major airport, anyone who was anyone, flew into Midway. There are photos showing the rich and famous – and elected – getting on and off planes there. Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Richard Nixon and even Prince Charles used the famous airport.
Here are some important dates in the history of Midway International Airport from the Chicago Department of Aviation:
- 1927: Chicago Municipal Airport, built on land owned by the Board of Education, is dedicated by Mayor William H. Thompson just months after Charles Lindbergh made his historic transatlantic flight. The first airmail flight arrives from Omaha, Neb.
- 1928: 41,660 passengers use the airport flying on 14,498 flights.
- 1929: Chicago Municipal Airport is recognized as the busiest in the world.
- 1936: The first non-stop flight to New York is made. The flight took four hours; today it takes about two.
- 1941: Pearl Harbor is attacked and Chicago Municipal Airport joins the war effort with the largest aircraft of the time, including the B-17 “Flying Fortress,” using its runways.
- 1945: American Overseas, TWA and Pan American airlines begin flights to Europe.
- 1947: Hertz opens a rental car office.
- 1949: The airport is renamed Midway.
- 1955: Chicago O’Hare opens.
- 1961: O’Hare overtakes Midway as the “World’s Busiest Airport.”
- 1967: Midway is expanded to add three new concourses, providing 28 gates.
- 1973: Oil and fuel shortages cause all major carriers to cease operation at Midway and make O’Hare their only Chicago destination.
- 1978: Deregulation opens the market to smaller airlines and discount fares.
- 1979: Midway Airlines is born, the first commercial airline to use Midway, post deregulation.
- 1982: The City of Chicago purchases Midway Airport from the Board of Education for $16 million.
- Southwest Airlines begins service. It is now Midway’s largest commercial carrier. One in four planes landing or taking off at Midway are Southwest flights.
- 1991: Midway Airlines, which accounted for 72 percent of traffic coming through the airport, declares bankruptcy, threatening Midway Airport’s future.
- 1992: Midway Airport is saved by Southwest Airlines after it signs a contract with the City of Chicago, increasing the use of the Southwest side facility.
- 1993: The Chicago Transit Authority opens the Orange Line rail service from downtown to Midway.
- 1996-2001: The airport is enlarged and remodeled; a new terminal is built, an airport parking garage opens and a pedestrian walkway is built over Cicero Avenue.
- 2002: Direct international service returns after a 40-year absence, thanks to the opening of a new Federal Inspection Service facility.
- 2006: An arrestor bed is installed at the end of Midway Airport’s Runway 31 Center. The material is a bed of cellular cement designed to crush under the weight of an overrun aircraft on the relatively short runway, providing controlled deceleration. Arrestor beds were later added to the ends of Runways 13C, 4R and 22L.
- 2012: Midway records its highest passenger total in the airport’s 85-year history, with more than 19.5 million passengers. That record was short-lived when Midway broke its own record, serving more than 20 million passengers.
Events worthy of a private jet trip
There are so many things for A-list travelers to do and see in the Windy City – which it was nicknamed, by the way, more than 100 years ago, not because of environmental gusts but because of boasting and “windy” politicians.
Among the honors it received in 2017, TripAdvisor ranked The Art Institute of Chicago one of the top five museums in the world; Paste Magazine called Chicago theater “one of the most thriving theatre scenes on the planet”; Condé Nast Traveler called Chicago the “best restaurant city in America”; Bon Appétit magazine called it the “Restaurant City of the Year.”
Go to the theater
Chicago has five Tony Award-winning regional theater companies:
- Steppenwolf Theatre
- The Goodman Theatre
- Victory Gardens Theater
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Lookingglass Theatre Company
You can find out what’s playing here.
Visit at Christmas
Every year in mid-November, Chicago kicks off the holiday season with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
Come for a sporting event
The Cubs, the Bears, the Bulls and the White Sox oh my.
The Chicago Auto Show
First staged in 1901, The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America and one of the oldest. Held annually in February in the McCormick Place complex, the show has nearly 1,000 domestic and imported cars, trucks and SUVS, concept cars and antique and collector cars on display.
Come for Lollapalooza
There is the Chicago Blues Festival and the Chicago Jazz Festival but nothing rocks the Windy City like Lollapalooza. It began in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Farrell with Chicago being one of 20 cities in the U.S. and Canada chosen for his band’s farewell tour. Farrell claimed that he chose the festival’s name—an archaic word meaning “extraordinarily impressive”—after he heard the word used in a Three Stooges film, according to Britannica.com. The festival has stopped and started over the years – it was losing money – until 2005 when it became an annual Chicago destination festival. It’s held in August in Grant Park. If you really want to be treated like a rock star, buy platinum tickets and get front row and side-stage views, complimentary food and beverage and access to VIP lounges.
The Oscars of Food
The James Beard Foundation handed out its awards to restaurants and chefs in New York City for more than two decades before moving the ceremony, held every years during the first week of May, to Chicago – one of the nation’s hottest restaurant cities – in 2015.
The event draws thousands of chefs, restaurateurs and food writers to Chicago. Tickets sell out quickly.
The event includes the James Beard Eats Week, in which some 100 top chefs in area restaurants create James Beard-inspired dishes.
Dance and nosh with celebs
Looking to hang with the rich and famous? Check out these places celebrities frequent:
The Underground is the place to go to see and be seen after the bars close. At 11 p.m., you may be the only one in the place but a few hours later, the place is packed with crowds dancing to house music and hip hop.
Spotted there: Dave Chappelle.
RM Champagne Salon is located in a lofted building at the end of a cobbled alley that leads straight to its courtyard. Its food as well as its brick walls, fireplaces, candles and chandeliers are very Parisian.
Spotted there: Gwen Stefani.
Three Dots and a Dash is a rocking tiki bar in a back alley in River North. Its VIP service includes a private back entrance. You can order one drink or a beautiful bowl of drinks to share with your friends. Reservations accepted – and recommended.
Spotted there: Mick Jagger.
Hub 51 has food to suit any taste. It boasts about its brunch but, later in the day, it has tacos, sushi, salads and an enormous cocktail menu, which includes Hub Punch. After your meal, head downstairs to Hub 51’s sister lounge, Sub 51.
Spotted there: Mila Kunis.
While Chicago is known for its steaks, there’s no place quite like the Chicago Cut Steakhouse to enjoy your favorite cut. Inside, you’ll find luxurious leather couches and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over Chicago Riverwalk and downtown Chicago.
Spotted there: Barack Obama.
There’s nothing Old World about the RPM Italian, a sleek and modern restaurant where you can sit in the main dining room or ask for your own private dining room. The restaurant is owned by reality TV stars, Bill and Giuliana Rancic.
Spotted there: Michael Jordan.
Popular Chicago Private Charter Flights
There’s so much to see and do in at Chicago that it will come as no surprise that Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) finds itself in our list of the top 10 US airports.
Originally a small trading post located at the Chicago River’s mouth, Chicago has grown into one of the most popular cities in the US. It’s easy to see why, too. It might not be widely known for Michelin star cuisine but the Chicago Pizza is one of the most famous in the world. The Chicago Bulls play in the Windy City, and the Chicago River is dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day in another tourist-drawing activity. The state also has a strong association with jazz, dating back to the 1920 gangsters like Al Capone, as well as the Sears Tower and a multitude of museums.
If you’re flying to Chicago Midway International Airport, you may want to consider hiring a private jet. If so, we have some information which can help you. Below you’ll see a graphic which shows you some of the most common routes from MDW. It includes the times, distances and prices for each route to give you an idea of how much you can fly for.
Runway information
FBOs at Chicago Midway International Airport, KMDW, MDW
METAR Weather
Traveling frequently from Chicago Midway International Airport?
If you fly frequently and you want have access to the finest private jets at any time, our jet card program is perfect for you. Our Jet Card allows you to fly anywhere, at any time and with any aircraft that fits your needs. Contact us for more information or read more about our Jet Card program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to stop for customs when I fly on a private jet?
Passengers on all international private charter flights will have to stop at customs. In certain countries, you may have to go through customs at a specific port of entry; for example, you must stop in Tahiti to perform customs checks en route to Bora Bora. You’ll also need to stop at the first port of entry when entering the U.S. from Mexico.
How much rest does the crew need before they can depart again?
Crew members are required to have a 10-hour rest period within each 24-hour cycle. The maximum duty day is 14 hours and must be followed by a 10-hour rest period at their hotel. When scheduling a flight, operators usually account for 12 hours of rest instead of 10. These extra two hours allow the crew time to get to their hotel, rest for the required time, and return to the airport.
How long does a fuel stop for a private jet flight take?
The average fuel stop takes 45–60 minutes. To speed up fuel stops, the operator, or pilots may call ahead, so a fuel truck is waiting for the aircraft on arrival. For smaller jets, a fuel stop can take as little as 30 minutes.
What if I need to charter more than one private jet at the same time?
No. When you charter a private jet, you generally fly into a private airport. However, you could access the same airports as a commercial airline if you request to do so or if there are no private airport options. However, using a large mainstream airport like Los Angeles International or London Heathrow is often a bad choice for private jets, as flying to a smaller regional private airport is much faster and often makes for a more luxurious experience.
Is the age of an aircraft a safety factor?
Aircraft age is not a safety factor. However, if the aircraft is older and hasn’t been refurbished properly, it may cause flyers some inconvenience, such as overheating, faulty air conditioning, or faulty plumbing in the lavatory.
How much luggage am I allowed to bring on a private jet?
As a rule of thumb, each seat on a light or midsize jet equates to one passenger and one item of luggage. Each item of luggage is considered to be the standard 23 kilograms, or about 50 lbs. Large jets are designed for long-range trips, which typically involve longer stays, so you can carry more than one item of luggage per person.
Are there aircraft that are wheelchair accessible?
There are many aircraft that are wheelchair accessible. Most of them are large jets or above and have a straight aisle. If the jet has a zigzag aisle – like the Falcon 900 – it will be difficult to maneuver the wheelchair onboard the aircraft. You’ll also need the right type of wheelchair; many motorized wheelchairs won’t fit and can’t be collapsed. If this is the case, you’ll need a smaller, temporary wheelchair. Some aircraft operators have smaller wheelchairs that can be used. Please speak with your Paramount private jet expert to review your aircraft options.
Can I fly with large sums of cash?
Yes, you can. This is a common occurrence for many private jet clients. You can fly with up to $5 million in cash as long as you declare that cash when coming through customs. For domestic trips, there’s no limit and no need to declare it.
Which private jets come with flight attendants?
In the United States, large jets and above are required to have flight attendants onboard; in Europe, flight attendants are used on midsize jets and above. Flight attendants require their own seats. Larger jets and above have a jump seat near the cockpit for the flight attendant to use, meaning the attendant generally stays out of the cabin.
Which airports offer ramp access, allowing the client to drive their car right up to their private jet?
Private jet clients can often have a limo drive them right up to the private jet, or even drive their own car to the plane. That said, different airports have different policies, and some may not offer ramp access. Please speak with your Paramount Aviation Advisor to review your options for a given trip.
Do private jets come with Wi-Fi?
Many private jets do have Wi-Fi, and it’s increasingly available free of charge on U.S. domestic flights. On international flights, prices range from $3.00-$8.50 USD per megabyte used. This means that opening up social media sites that are rich in images and videos could quickly cost you $20 – and downloading a feature-length movie could cost thousands!
When is on-demand private jet charter better than buying a block of hours?
Private jet charter can be a lot cheaper than buying a block of hours for a one-way flight, as you can access floating fleets or an empty leg to reduce the cost. With a block of hours, the price covers a round trip. If you only fly one-way, you are effectively paying double.
What is a carbon-neutral flight?
Every aircraft burns jet fuel and emits a certain amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This can be offset via one of several carbon offset programs that allow private jet clients to purchase a certain number of carbon credits to offset the emissions from their flights. A carbon-neutral flight is one that offsets the carbon emissions it uses via a formal process.
Can I have a flexible departure time for my private jet flight?
Yes, it is possible to have a flexible departure when flying privately. Operators typically offer a 30-minute to two-hour window, but you can request a longer window as long as it doesn’t interfere with the maximum crew duty day or their next scheduled flight. Please confirm with your Paramount Aviation Advisor at the time of booking your jet.
When should I hire a Boeing Business Jet?
Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) have unique amenities that extend far beyond sheer size and are often equipped with 1-2 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms (one more of those bathrooms may even offer stand-up showers.) These airliner-based executive aircraft also feature tall or ‘stand-up’ cabins that are also longer and wider than more typical corporate aircraft.
How soon can I have a private jet ready from the time I call in the request?
Generally speaking, with as little as 4 hours of notice. However, we have had wheels up in as little as 32 minutes from the time our client called us to book the flight and had them in the air. It depends on a few factors, such as how long it takes for the pilots to arrive at the airport (generally, there is a 2-hour call-out time for the pilots), and whether the aircraft is ready to go at the airport with no repositioning needed. Our Jet Card members enjoy faster booking since they have funds on account and can confirm a flight with a simple email.
Can I access my luggage while in flight?
On most private jets, you will be able to access your luggage during the flight. That’s because luggage and passengers are situated on the same level. This is in contrast to commercial airlines, where checked luggage is stored in a cargo hold. On large private jets, luggage is often stored in a compartment behind the lavatory, which means easy access to your bags.
When are private jet charter landing and takeoff slots applicable?
A landing or takeoff slot is simply a small window of time in which your aircraft is scheduled to fly in or out of the airport. You will need a landing and takeoff slot if you fly to a high-density airport in the United States or one that is hosting a special event with a significant number of aircraft arriving and departing. If you’re flying internationally, you will need a landing and takeoff slot for all major European cities. Please check with your Paramount Aviation Advisor at the time of booking for a specific route.
What kind of in-flight catering is available on a private jet?
Other than the standard snacks and drinks, you can order local cuisine options for your catering on board. In short, anything that doesn’t need to be cooked can be ordered; hot food must be precooked and then warmed on board.
Can I bring pets with me on private jet flights?
Of course! Just let us know in advance. The majority of the operators and aircraft owners allow pets onboard. In some cases, a small cleaning fee may apply. That said, there are specific requirements that must be met when traveling with your pet, including making sure that all documentation and vaccination records for your pet(s) are correct and up-to-date. Dogs and cats must also be at least eight weeks old and weaned when traveling within the U.S.
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