The Federal Aviation Administration revealed in federal documents this week it intends to reduce flights at O’Hare International Airport, citing overscheduling, “severe congestion” and higher flight counts following expansions by both American Airlines and United Airlines.
The agency will host a meeting with airlines regarding schedule reductions on March 4.
In a document issued on Friday, the FAA said increased operations will likely exceed the airport’s capacity throughout the summer 2026 scheduling season, which runs from late March through the end of October. According to filings, published airline schedules show more than 3,080 daily operations on peak days, compared to a peak of 2,680 total daily operations last year.
“This proposed increase is significant and would stress the runway, terminal, and air traffic control systems at the airport,” the agency stated.
According to the FAA, the airport facilitates 2,800 total daily operations, which at approximately 100 hourly departures and arrivals, is “manageable” given the airport’s existing infrastructure and staffing.
The agency proposed adopting the same restrictions for the summer 2026 scheduling season, saying it will allow airlines to operate within the “demonstrated manageable capacity” and prevent large-scale disruptions.
After next week’s meeting and considering all submitted information, the FAA will issue an order on the expected reductions. A timeline for the decision hasn’t been revealed.
Both American and United are undertaking major expansions at O’Hare amid growing competition for travelers.
Late last year, American revealed it would add 100 daily departures to more than 75 destinations in time for spring break travel, creating the airline’s largest O’Hare spring schedule on record. Ahead of next week’s meeting, a spokesperson said:
“American commends Secretary Duffy, Administrator Bedford and the FAA for taking proactive action to ensure the operational integrity of the airfield and airspace in Chicago. The FAA now has the opportunity to achieve an improved customer experience for passengers traveling from, to, and through Chicago this summer.”
United expects its biggest summer yet at the airport, saying its schedule will be the largest flown by any airline operating there, the company said in a previous news release. The airline is adding flights to at least eight destinations and anticipates it will will reach 750 flights per day this summer.
A spokesperson issued the following statement regarding the upcoming FAA meeting:
“We appreciate Secretary Duffy and FAA Administrator Bedford’s leadership in convening this meeting. We share their commitment to running a safe and reliable operation out of ORD and look forward to a collaborative discussion,” a spokesperson said.
The Chicago Department of Aviation issued the following statement:
“The City of Chicago, working in close partnership with its airline stakeholders and the federal government, has invested more than $6 billion to modernize the airfield at O’Hare International Airport. This transformative effort created a comprehensive eight-runway system, enabling O’Hare to support more flight operations than any other airport in the nation.
Under Mayor Johnson’s leadership, O’Hare is well-positioned to accommodate traffic growth beyond 2025 levels. To maximize that runway investment, the CDA continues to advance the ORDNext capital program, which includes construction of two new satellite concourses and a new Global Terminal to replace Terminal 2. The CDA looks forward to continued collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation and airline partners in the days ahead to finalize a temporary adjustment to the summer schedule at O’Hare that ensures safe and efficient operations while taking into account current gate availability, air traffic control staffing capacity, and ongoing construction activity.”
