New Orleans (MSY) to Chicago (ORD)
Flight time
≈ 2h 29m
Bearing
8° N
New Orleans (MSY) to Chicago (ORD) is 838 miles (1,349 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies MSY–ORD
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 6 carriers flying nonstop MSY–ORD; the Embraer E175 was the most common aircraft at 49% of departures; flights ran 84% full.
Departures
362
May 2026
Seats
43,265
both directions
Passengers
36,211
both directions
Load factor
83.7%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies MSY–ORD?
United Airlines operated the most nonstop MSY–ORD departures in May 2026 (123), one of 6 carriers on the route.
- UA
123 departures · 19,963 seats
Share of departures34.0%83.3%
Load
- MQ
92 departures · 6,992 seats
Share of departures25.4%90.8%
Load
- YX
66 departures · 5,016 seats
Share of departures18.2%89.1%
Load
- AA
62 departures · 9,740 seats
Share of departures17.1%75.7%
Load
- OO
18 departures · 1,368 seats
Share of departures5.0%91.7%
Load
- NK
1 departures · 186 seats
Share of departures0.3%68.3%
Load
What plane flies MSY–ORD?
In May 2026, the Embraer E175 flew 49% of MSY–ORD departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Embraer E175
176 departures · 90.3% load
48.6% - Boeing 737-800
76 departures · 73.6% load
21.0% - Boeing 737-900ER
51 departures · 82.2% load
14.1% - Boeing 737-700
25 departures · 94.6% load
6.9% - Airbus A319
23 departures · 89.3% load
6.3% - Airbus A320
5 departures · 85.8% load
1.4% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
4 departures · 81.1% load
1.1% - Boeing 737 MAX 9
2 departures · 98.6% load
0.5%
How has MSY–ORD traffic changed?
Nonstop MSY–ORD departures fell from 375 in June 2025 to 362 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop MSY–ORD traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
375 departures · 39,882 passengers
82.9%
Load
July 2025
357 departures · 37,207 passengers
81.8%
Load
August 2025
308 departures · 29,576 passengers
77.7%
Load
September 2025
281 departures · 29,452 passengers
80.5%
Load
October 2025
473 departures · 50,957 passengers
77.1%
Load
November 2025
421 departures · 38,801 passengers
71.8%
Load
December 2025
369 departures · 32,526 passengers
77.7%
Load
January 2026
392 departures · 33,259 passengers
74.0%
Load
February 2026
439 departures · 44,563 passengers
75.0%
Load
March 2026
459 departures · 48,286 passengers
80.2%
Load
April 2026
431 departures · 42,571 passengers
80.7%
Load
May 2026
362 departures · 36,211 passengers
83.7%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
ORD → MSY
79.5% full
182 departures · 17,261 passengers
MSY → ORD
88.0% full
180 departures · 18,950 passengers
Nonstop MSY–ORD traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
New Orleans
US
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Coordinates
29.99°N, 90.26°W
Hemisphere
N · W
Frequently asked
How far is New Orleans (MSY) from Chicago (ORD)?
MSY to ORD is 838 miles (1,349 km / 729 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from MSY to ORD?
A nonstop covers the 838-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 29m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies MSY–ORD?
In May 2026, the Embraer E175 flew the largest share of departures (48.6%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (21.0%).
What mileage do I earn flying MSY–ORD?
Distance-based programs credit off the 838-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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