United Airlines’ Non-Stop Service to Chicago Takes Off from Halifax Stanfield

Connections between the Windy City and the Maritimes is worth it for the deep-dish pizza and donairs alone. Starting today, United Airlines is offering non-stop service between Chicago O’Hare and Halifax Stanfield. This non-stop flight allows Maritimers to easily become one of the millions of people who visit Chicago each year, and in return, provides the residents of the Midwestern United States access to the renowned beauty and culture of Canada’s East Coast.

“Adding Chicago to the list of destinations served from Halifax on a non-stop basis demonstrates United Airlines’ confidence in our city, our province and our region,” said Joyce Carter, President & CEO, Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA). “We now have the opportunity to visit another fantastic destination, all while capturing the opportunity to increase inbound tourism and providing business and leisure travellers with more options when flying.”

United Airlines, which has served Halifax Stanfield for more than 20 years, believes this new flight is a natural fit to complement its existing service between Halifax and the New York area. This year, United increased from two to three times daily service and increased summer seasonal capacity by more than 60 percent using larger aircraft.

“United has proudly connected Halifax to New York for 21 years, and we look forward to adding additional service to Chicago this summer,” said Steve Ross, Managing Director of Midwest and Canadian Sales at United. “This new seasonal flight offers Maritimers easy access to the Windy City, as well one stop service to more than 200 destinations that we serve from our hub at Chicago O’Hare.”

Chicago and Halifax have both put themselves on the map for offering many high-quality, tourist-friendly attractions.

“This new direct flight between Halifax and Chicago opens connections between Nova Scotia and the world,” said Michele Saran, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Nova Scotia. “Increased air access is a top priority and gives travellers yet another reason to choose Nova Scotia. We look forward to sharing our oceanside experiences, fantastic night life and impressive culinary scene with even more visitors this summer.”

Chicago hosts the world's largest free outdoor food festival, the Taste of Chicago, and Halifax is home to many events including the iconic Halifax Buskers Festival, with over 300 performances over six days, as well as the Nova Scotia Festival of Wines, where you can experience wines from around the globe.

Passengers flying to Chicago will benefit from Halifax Stanfield’s U.S. Preclearance Facility, which enables passengers heading to the U.S. to clear customs and Border Protection in Halifax before departing.

“Utilizing non-stop routes and pre-clearing U.S. customs in Halifax makes traveling to the United States even easier,” said Kevin Skillin, U.S. Consul General in Halifax. “I encourage the community to take advantage of the ability to pre-clear U.S. customs at Halifax Stanfield, so they can continue their journey quickly and easily upon arrival at their U.S. destinations, including Chicago.”

Route Details

• The once-daily flight to Chicago will use an Embraer 175 aircraft, featuring a 12-seat First Class cabin, 16-seat Economy Plus cabin and a 48-seat Economy cabin.

• The flight will depart YHZ at 7:14 a.m. and arrive ORD at 8:40 a.m., and depart ORD at 5:50 p.m. and arrive YHZ at 10:52 p.m.

• Last offered in January 2015, the service from Chicago will once again represent increased capacity from the U.S. to Nova Scotia.

• As one of the largest hubs in the country, Chicago offers excellent connectivity to destinations in the Midwest, West, Central and Southern United States.

• The resumption of non-stop service to Chicago has long been among the most desired routes, particularly for our business community.

• Adding Chicago to its list of destinations from Halifax Stanfield builds on United Airlines’ 21 years of service to and from our region.

• United also serves the New York area through Newark. In 2019, United increased from two to three times daily service and increased summer seasonal capacity by more than 60 percent using larger aircraft.