The Federal Aviation Administration has moved to limit flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport this summer after a scheduling dispute between American Airlines and United Airlines raised concerns about possible operational breakdowns.
American CEO Robert Isom accused United of scheduling growth that could overwhelm O’Hare, while United CEO Scott Kirby said intervention from the Department of Transportation to force more balanced schedules would be an appropriate fix. The disagreement has drawn regulatory attention because both carriers operate major hubs at O’Hare and have been rapidly expanding service.
FAA filings this year warned that daily aircraft movements could climb from nearly 2,700 last summer to more than 3,000 this year, placing strain on runways, terminals and air-traffic control. In February the agency suggested a cap of about 2,800 daily operations; by March it floated a level nearer 2,600. Chicago aviation officials say FAA staff discussed figures as low as 2,400 in meetings.
O’Hare’s situation is unusual because it is now the busiest U.S. airport by takeoffs and landings and hosts competing global hubs for both American and United. Transportation experts say that simultaneous hub growth by two major carriers created an unusually rapid increase in scheduled flights, prompting the FAA’s preemptive concern.
Some industry observers praised the FAA for acting before delays and cancellations pile up. William McGee, a former airline operations official, noted the agency typically waits until problems are already severe; last year it sharply restricted operations at Newark after air-traffic-control issues and runway work produced widespread disruptions. The FAA says it is trying to avoid a similar summer crisis at O’Hare by addressing capacity before problems materialize.
The Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs O’Hare, has filed public comments calling the proposed reductions “unwarranted” and “regressive,” arguing that recent expansion projects have increased capacity and lowered delays and that the airport can handle about 2,800 daily operations. FAA and airport officials have been meeting with airlines, but regulators have not finalized a plan.
Airlines appear open to some coordinated trimming of service, particularly on less popular routes where fuel costs are rising, as a way to avoid one carrier gaining a competitive advantage. Transportation professor Joe Schwieterman said coordinated cuts could inject “rationality” into scheduling decisions that now leave carriers locked into competing plans.
Travelers voiced mixed reactions. Some said they would oppose losing nonstop flights at their preferred airport, while others acknowledged that reducing flights could ease congestion even if it inconveniences certain travelers.
The FAA’s proposed limits represent an unusually assertive effort to manage airport capacity in advance of a peak travel season, reflecting concerns about concentrated hub competition and infrastructure limits at one of the nation’s busiest aviation centers.