American Airlines Embraer 175 taxiing at ROA.

Today American Airlines announced the addition of Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to its list of nonstop destinations from Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport (ROA).

The new once daily service will begin August 6, 2025, departing ROA in the morning and returning from ORD in the evening. American plans to operate the new Chicago service with its comfortable dual-class Embraer 175 aircraft.

“American is thrilled to bring new nonstop service from Roanoke to our Chicago O’Hare hub,” said Jordan Pack, American’s Director of Domestic Network Planning. “Complementing existing service to Charlotte, Philadelphia, and New York City, this new service will make it easier for travelers to reach cities in the Midwest and Western United States, such as Minneapolis and Seattle, as well as our new service to Honolulu, Hawaii.”

“American Airlines was the first airline to operate scheduled service from Woodrum Field back in the 1930s and it remains a fantastic partner to ROA and the flying public of western and southern Virginia. This announcement reflects their dedication to the Roanoke-Blacksburg region and our growing economy,” said Mike Stewart, Executive Director of the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission. “It is also a testament to our community. By flying ROA their support helps enable new routes and enhanced capacity at their hometown airport. This new service will help open up connections to American Airlines’ vast global network and make travel to the Midwest and West Coast more convenient.”

Tickets for the new service will be available for purchase on aa.com or through American’s mobile app starting May 5.

Schedule*
ORD-ROA: Departure: 7:05 p.m. | Arrival: 10:16 p.m.
ROA-ORD: Departure: 7 a.m. | 8:05 a.m.

*Schedules and aircraft subject to change.

About Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport (ROA) is the gateway for travelers visiting Virginia's Blue Ridge and the New River Valley and provides an easy getaway to global destinations via four airlines (Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines). ROA welcomes more than 750,000 passengers annually through its terminal. ROA offers passengers daily nonstop service to major hubs, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Washington Dulles, as well as weekly nonstop flights to Florida's Orlando Sanford, St. Pete-Clearwater, and Sarasota Bradenton.