Fairbanks (FAI) to Chicago (ORD)
Flight time
≈ 6h 21m
Bearing
95° E
Fairbanks (FAI) to Chicago (ORD) is 2,778 miles (4,471 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies FAI–ORD
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, United Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop FAI–ORD; the Boeing 737 MAX 9 was the most common aircraft at 100% of departures; flights ran 88% full.
Departures
59
July 2026
Seats
10,561
both directions
Passengers
9,315
both directions
Load factor
88.2%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies FAI–ORD?
United Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop FAI–ORD in July 2026 (59 departures).
- UA
59 departures · 10,561 seats
Share of departures100.0%88.2%
Load
What plane flies FAI–ORD?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 flew 100% of FAI–ORD departures.
- Boeing 737 MAX 9
59 departures · 88.2% load
100.0%
How has FAI–ORD traffic changed?
Nonstop FAI–ORD departures fell from 60 in August 2025 to 59 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop FAI–ORD traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
60 departures · 7,976 passengers
80.1%
Load
September 2025
48 departures · 5,329 passengers
66.9%
Load
October 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
November 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
December 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
January 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
February 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
March 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
April 2026
2 departures · 208 passengers
62.6%
Load
May 2026
62 departures · 7,746 passengers
73.2%
Load
June 2026
59 departures · 9,055 passengers
85.7%
Load
July 2026
59 departures · 9,315 passengers
88.2%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
FAI → ORD
86.7% full
30 departures · 4,655 passengers
ORD → FAI
89.8% full
29 departures · 4,660 passengers
Nonstop FAI–ORD traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Fairbanks (FAI) from Chicago (ORD)?
FAI to ORD is 2,778 miles (4,471 km / 2,414 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from FAI to ORD?
A nonstop covers the 2,778-mile great-circle distance in roughly 6h 21m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies FAI–ORD?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 flew the largest share of departures (100.0%).
What mileage do I earn flying FAI–ORD?
Distance-based programs credit off the 2,778-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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