O’Hare carries more flights than any other U.S. airport and recorded one of the worst delay records in the country last year. The FAA’s cap comes as American Airlines and United Airlines both announced growth plans at the hub that regulators said would exceed what the airfield can handle this summer.
Federal officials on Thursday ordered airlines to cut roughly 300 flights per day from Chicago O’Hare International Airport’s schedule on the busiest summer days, imposing a cap of 2,708 flights to prevent what regulators said would be severe congestion. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the directive alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, citing expansion plans filed by American Airlines and United Airlines that would have pushed peak-day operations above 3,080 flights — a 14.9 percent increase from the prior summer.
“If you book a ticket, we want you and your family to have the certainty that you’ll fly without endless delays and cancellations,” Duffy said in a statement.
O’Hare handles more flights than any other U.S. airport and recorded one of the worst delay records in the country last year. The planned summer schedule would have compounded those problems: air traffic controllers are already managing taxiway closures tied to active construction projects at the airport, and the FAA said the volume of flights the airlines had scheduled would have exceeded what the airfield could handle.
The new ceiling of 2,708 flights per day is slightly above the 2,680-flight maximum that was on the schedule at the peak of last summer. Duffy said the cap “will reduce delays and make this busy summer travel season a little easier.” On slower travel days — Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays — fewer cuts will be required because fewer flights were originally booked.
The two carriers face unequal burdens under the order. American Airlines told employees in an internal memo that it estimates it will need to cancel no more than 40 arrivals and departures per day. American estimated that United, based on its published schedule, may need to cut more than 200 arrivals and departures per day; United did not provide its own estimate. Both airlines said they would review the order and their schedules before notifying affected customers.
American called the FAA’s action a step toward reliability. “We are grateful to Secretary Duffy, Administrator Bedford, and their leadership teams for acting swiftly,” the carrier said in a statement. United said it appreciated a “solution that makes sense for everyone who cares about O’Hare’s success.”
The flight limits take effect May 17 and remain in place through Oct. 24.