Do You Know? The World's Busiest Airport Has No Flights To These 2 US States

Published Nov 12, 2026, 3:24 PM EST Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is the world's busiest airport by the number of flights, and it has international and domestic operators providing nonstop services across the globe. At home, in the US, the airport provides nonstop flights to almost every state, with just Delaware and Mississippi missing from its route map. Using data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, Simple Flying analyzed the airport's network from Chicago O'Hare and understands why the airport is missing its last two links to a full domestic network. No Flights From Chicago O'Hare To Mississippi Credit: George Wirt | Shutterstock Chicago O'Hare is the busiest airport in the world, ahead of the likes of Atlanta (ATL), Dubai (DXB) and London Heathrow (LHR) when looking at the total number of flights operated. Evidently, by passengers served, Atlanta takes the crown for the busiest airport, while Dubai is the world's leading international airport. Travelers bound for the US states of Delaware or Mississippi are out of luck for nonstop flights from O'Hare, with no airlines operating. The last time an airline flew to Mississippi from O'Hare was American Airlines, which last flew to the southern state in 2020. American Airlines historically flew from O'Hare to Jackson in 2006 to 2007, and then to Gulfport between 2007 and 2008. American returned in 2017 with flights to Meridian, which were then withdrawn in 2020. The airline then ultimately withdrew from serving the state. United Airlines also flew to Mississippi from 2012 through 2020, and has not returned since the COVID-19 pandemic. Route Airline Flight History Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Jackson (JAN) American Airlines Operated between 2006 and 2007 Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Gulfport (GPT) American Airlines Operated between 2007 and 2008 Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Jackson (JAN) United Airlines Operated between 2012 and 2020 Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Meridian (MEI) American Airlines Operated between 2017 and 2020 Delaware Remains Unconnected To The Windy City Credit: George Wirt | Shutterstock Reviewing history back to the beginning of the 1990s, Delaware has never had a regular nonstop service to Chicago O'Hare. Even neighboring Chicago Midway (MDW) has no nonstop flights to the state. Delaware is a small state on the US East Coast, neighboring New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Wilmington, the largest city in the state, is less than an hour's drive from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), seeing the majority of travelers looking to travel head to this major airport. Delaware is also within driving distance of Baltimore (BWI), which is a major Southwest hub. Commercial air services have a long history of struggling at Wilmington (ILG), and have seen major airlines scale back operations. The only current operator at Wilmington is Avelo Airlines, with the network below: Year-Round Avelo Airlines Flights From Wilmington (ILG) Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Lakeland (LAL), Orlando (MCO), San Juan (SJU), and Tampa (TPA) Seasonal Avelo Airlines Flights From Wilmington (ILG) Daytona Beach (DAB), Myrtle Beach (MYR), Sarasota (SRQ), West Palm Beach (PBI), and Wilmington, NC (ILM) The Most And Least Connected States From Chicago O'Hare Credit: ARK NEYMAN | Shutterstock Looking at flight departure data, the most connected states from O'Hare are Florida, with a total of 24,438 flights between January and October 2027. This equates to an average of 81.5 flights a day, or 570 each week. This is followed by New York State, with 22,772 total flight departures, or 75 average daily and 531 average weekly flights. The least connected state from O'Hare is New Hampshire, with a total of 573 flights for the same period, resulting in fewer than two daily flights, or 13 weekly services. Hawaii is the second least served, with 643 flights, or an average of two daily and up to 15 weekly. O'Hare operates the most flights of any airport in the world and has a network of 195 domestic US destinations and 62 international destinations, connecting passengers to a total of 257 cities worldwide.