The largest private aviation airport in the Chicago metro. Regular pickups at both Signature Flight Support and Hawthorne Global Aviation Services. Ramp access common — pre-arranged corporate and VIP arrivals where the vehicle meets the aircraft directly on the tarmac.
Lincoln Limo Inc · PWK's regular executive driver.
Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) in Wheeling is the dominant private aviation airport for the Chicago metro outside O'Hare. Significantly more charter, corporate, and personal jet traffic than DuPage, Waukegan, or Gary combined.
PWK serves three primary client types: Lake County and North Shore residents with based-here aircraft (Lake Forest, Highland Park, Glenview, Northbrook); downtown executives who skip O'Hare congestion by departing private from PWK; and charter operators running shorter regional flights. Each client type uses ground transportation differently — and we handle all three patterns regularly.
PWK has two principal FBOs serving private aviation. Real, repeated experience at both — not just one-time visits.
Signature acquired the former Atlantic Aviation operation at PWK in 2024 — same physical FBO building, new ownership and branding. Pickup procedures vary by booking: lobby entry with photo ID for standard arrivals, FBO-escorted curbside for some corporate departures, and ramp access for pre-arranged VIP and security-team arrivals where the vehicle meets the aircraft on the tarmac.
Hawthorne at PWK was Priester Aviation through 2023 and rebranded under Hawthorne Global. The procedural pattern matches Signature — lobby/curbside/ramp depending on what the booking requires. Hawthorne tends to handle slightly more boutique charter traffic than Signature's larger corporate flow.
Unlike O'Hare where ramp access is rare and tightly controlled, PWK's smaller scale and less restrictive operating environment means ramp access happens regularly here — when pre-arranged by the customer's company, charter operator, or for VIP arrivals with security teams. For clients who value the seamless aircraft-to-vehicle handoff, PWK is the airport where it actually happens routinely.
FBO communication for private aviation pickups is typically handled by the customer's assistant, flight crew, or charter operator — not by the chauffeur. You don't coordinate with us about the FBO. Your team gives us the airport, FBO, ETA, and tail number; we arrive at the agreed time, identify ourselves, and adapt to whatever the FBO directs that day.
The vehicle itself is built for discretion. Limousine-grade tint on all rear cabin windows means passengers travel without being visible from outside — at the FBO ramp, on the road, or pulling into a destination. Built into the equipment, not just the policy.
PWK pickups are coordinated directly. Call to discuss your itinerary, FBO, and pickup details. Custom quotes for charter and corporate accounts.