O'Hare International Airport

"Ohare" redirects here. For people with that name, see O'Hare (surname).

Chicago O'Hare International Airport
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IATA: ORD – ICAO: KORD – FAA LID: ORD – WMO: 72530
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	City of Chicago
Operator	Chicago Department of Aviation
Serves	Chicago, Illinois
Hub for	Air Choice One American Airlines United Airlines
Focus city for	Frontier Airlines Spirit Airlines
Elevation AMSL	668 ft / 204 m
Coordinates
Website	www.flychicago.com/ohare
Map
ORD Location of airport in Chicago
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 4L/22R 7,500 2,286 Asphalt 4R/22L 8,075 2,461 Asphalt 9L/27R 7,500 2,286 Concrete 9R/27L 7,967 2,428 Asphalt/Concrete 10R/28L 7,500 2,286 Concrete 10C/28C 10,801 3,292 Concrete 10L/28R 13,000 3,962 Asphalt/Concrete 14L/32R 10,005 3,050 Asphalt 14R/32L 9,686 2,952 Asphalt/Concrete
Helipads
Number Length Surface ft m H1 200 61 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passenger volume 70,075,204 Aircraft movements 881,933 Cargo (metric tonnes) 1,578,330.1 Economic impact (2012) $14.1 billion
Sources: FAA and airport's website. Statistics from ACI

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (IATA: ORD, ICAO: KORD, FAA LID: ORD), also known as O'Hare Airport, Chicago International Airport, Chicago O'Hare or simply O'Hare, is an international airport located on the Far Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Loop. It is the primary airport serving the Chicago area, with Midway Airport, about 10 miles (16 km) closer to the Loop, serving as a secondary airport. It is operated by the City of Chicago Department of Aviation. Most of O'Hare Airport is in Cook County, but a section of the southwest part of the airport is in DuPage County. The airport is located within a section of the City of Chicago contiguously connected to the rest of the city via a narrow strip of land about 200 ft (61 m) wide, running along Foster Avenue, from the Des Plaines River to the airport. This land was annexed into the city limits in the 1950s to assure the massive tax revenues associated with the airport would go to the city. The strip is bounded on the north by Rosemont and the south by Schiller Park.

O'Hare is the busiest airport in the world by number of takeoffs and landings—a title it reclaimed in 2014, beating out Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (which had the title from 2005 to 2013). Until 1998, O'Hare was also the busiest airport in the world in number of passengers. It was surpassed mainly due to limits imposed on the airport by the federal government to reduce flight delays. As of 2014, O'Hare is the sixth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. O'Hare also has the most number of runways (8) of any major international airport. As of September 2014, O'Hare has direct service to a total of 210 destinations, including 153 domestic destinations in the United States and 57 international destinations in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. O'Hare is among a select group of airports worldwide with the distinction of serving more than 200 destinations, along with Frankfurt Airport, Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Munich Airport, and Dubai International Airport.

O'Hare is currently a major hub for American Airlines and United Airlines, as well as a hub for regional carrier Air Choice One and a focus city for Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. It is the second largest passenger carrying hub for United after Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport carrying 15.3 million passengers annually, and largest by number of daily flights, operating a total of 585 flights daily. O'Hare is American's third largest hub, behind Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and third largest by number of daily flights, operating a total of 527 daily flights to 120 destinations, including 201 mainline flights daily.

O'Hare has been voted the "Best Airport in North America" for 10 years by two separate sources: Readers of the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine (1998–2003) and Global Traveler Magazine (2004–2007). Travel and Leisure magazine's 2009 "America's Favorite Cities" ranked Chicago's Airport System (O'Hare and Midway) the second-worst for delays, New York City's airport system (JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia) being the first. O'Hare currently accounts for nearly 20% of the nation's total flight cancellations and delays.

History

Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat on display in O'Hare's Terminal 2, restored in the markings of "Butch" O'Hare's plane

World War II

See also: Illinois World War II Army Airfields

O'Hare was constructed in 1942–43 as part of a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small nearby farming community.

Douglas Company's contract ended in 1945 and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas; the airfield took the name of Orchard Field Airport, the source of its three-letter IATA code ORD.

In 1945, Orchard Field was chosen by the city of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands. Matthew Laflin Rockwell (1915–1988) was the director of planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and responsible for the site selection and design. He was the great grandson of Matthew Laflin, a founder and pioneer of Chicago.

In 1949, the airport was renamed "O'Hare International Airport" to honor Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Its IATA code, "ORD", remained unchanged, however, resulting in O'Hare being one of the rare instances of an airport's three-letter designation bearing no connection to the airport's current name or metropolitan area (with other rare instances including Orlando International Airport's IATA code "MCO" or Toronto Pearson International Airport's IATA code of "YYZ").

Commercial development

Airline Operations

(Takeoffs Plus Landings)

	Midway	O'Hare
1958	337,421	66,205
1959	345,170	82,417
1960	298,582	163,351
1961	187,978	235,908
1962	46,873	331,090
1963	19,054	358,266
1964	19,017	389,640
1965	16,716	443,026
1966	5,090	478,644
1967	4,427	573,506
1968	26,941	628,632
1969	31,394	632,030
1970	43,553	598,973
1971	51,734	565,826

By the early 1950s, Midway Airport, Chicago's primary airport since 1931, had become too crowded despite multiple expansions and could not handle the planned first generation of jets. The city of Chicago and the FAA began to develop O'Hare as the main airport for Chicago's future.

In 1953, while traveling to an airshow at Naval Air Station Glenview in Chicago, Illinois, Blue Angels pilot LT Harding MacKnight experienced an engine flameout in his F7U Cutlass, forcing him to make an emergency landing at NAS Glenview. Traveling with him, LT "Whitey" Feightner was redirected to make his landing at O'Hare. The runway had just been completed and was covered with peach baskets to prevent aircraft from landing until it was opened. LT Feightner was told to ignore the baskets and land on the new runway. As a result, LT Feightner's F7U became the first aircraft to land on the new runway for O'Hare.

Commercial passenger flights started in 1955 and by the following year O'Hare was served by American, BOAC, Braniff, Capital, Delta, Eastern, North Central, Pan Am, TWA and United, along with freight airlines Riddle and Slick. O'Hare also opened a $1 million "Skymotive" terminal for corporate aircraft in 1955, the first of its kind.

Growth was slow at first. By 1957 Chicago had invested over $25 million in O'Hare, but Midway remained the world's busiest airport and airlines were reluctant to relocate all of their services to O'Hare until better highway access and other capital improvements were completed. The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 10 weekday departures on United, 9 on American, 6 on Capital, 3 Eastern, 3 TWA, 2 Delta, 2 North Central, and 1 Braniff. Also three weekly Pan Am and one weekly BOAC (Air France and Lufthansa were at Midway). O'Hare's first dedicated international terminal opened in August 1958. By April 1959 the airport had expanded to 7,200 acres (29 km²) with new hangars, terminals, parking and other facilities. The expressway link to downtown Chicago, then known as the Northwest Expressway, was completed in 1960.

Ground was broken for the main terminal complex (of which Terminals 2 and 3 remain today) on April 1, 1959. The complex, designed by C. F. Murphy and Associates, opened on January 1, 1962.

All fixed-wing scheduled airline service in Chicago moved from Midway to O'Hare by July 1962. President John F. Kennedy attended a dedication ceremony in 1963. After Kennedy was assassinated later that year, the section of Interstate 90 between downtown Chicago and O'Hare was renamed the Kennedy Expressway. The arrival of Midway's former traffic quickly made O'Hare the world's busiest airport, serving 10 million passengers annually. Within two years that number would double, with more people passing through O'Hare in 12 months than Ellis Island had processed in its entire existence. In late 1972, Chicago city officials reached an agreement with airlines to shift some services back to Midway in order to ease the overcrowding at O'Hare. Despite this, O'Hare remained the world's busiest airport until 1998. In the late 1960s Midway was nearly abandoned; it enjoyed a revival after startup carrier Midway Airlines began low-cost service there in 1979–80.

Pre-deregulation service

American Airlines, United Airlines and Trans World Airlines had many routes to the West Coast, Northeast and Midwest. TWA flew to Europe nonstop from O'Hare starting in 1958. Northwest Orient Airlines flew to the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Florida and Hawaii, as well as service through Alaska to Japan and the Far East. Their 747 to Tokyo was O'Hare's first nonstop to Asia, in 1977. Delta Air Lines served the Southeast and Midwest.

During this era, international flights (other than Canada) used Concourses B and C in Terminal 1. Braniff, Eastern, Northwest, Continental and Piedmont used Concourse D in Terminal 2. United was the main tenant in Concourses E and F of Terminal 2, with Ozark also using gates in Concourse F. In Terminal 3, Concourse G served TWA and Air Canada, and Concourses H and K served American, Delta and North Central (later merged into Republic Airlines). Concourse A was, at one time, a satellite terminal for commuter airlines at the west end of the terminal complex.

Post-deregulation developments

In the 1980s, after deregulation, TWA replaced Chicago with St. Louis as its main mid-continent hub. Although TWA had one of the largest Chicago operations during the late 1970s, its operation was losing $25 million a year under intense competition from United and American. TWA attempted to compete with an all-coach service to the West Coast at the lowest prices in the market, but American and United eventually matched TWA's fares during the recession of 1979–81, and TWA pulled the service. In 1982, TWA swapped three of its Chicago gates for five of American's St. Louis gates, setting the stage for TWA's transition to St. Louis.

Northwest likewise shifted to a Minneapolis and Detroit-centered network by the early 1990s following its acquisition of Republic Airlines in 1986. On January 17, 1980, the airport's weather station became the official point for Chicago's weather observations and records by the National Weather Service.

United and American both established nationwide hubs at the airport in the 1980s, which continue to operate today. United developed a new US$500 million Terminal 1 ("The Terminal of the Future" or "Terminal of Tomorrow"), which was designed by Helmut Jahn and A. Epstein and Sons, with Turner Construction as the construction manager, and Thornton Tomasetti serving as the structural engineer. It was built between 1985 and 1987 on the site of the old international terminal. Ground was broken for the new terminal complex in March 1985. The terminal opened with 13 gates on June 15, 1987. The terminal was officially dedicated on August 4, 1987 with Mayor Harold Washington in attendance at the dedication ceremony, and the ticketing and baggage claim areas, as well as 29 more gates, were opened. Concourse D of Terminal 2 was demolished in order to make way for the rest of the terminal, which was completed in December 1988. American renovated its existing facilities in Terminal 3 from 1987 to 1990. These renovations were designed by Kober/Belluschi Associates, Inc. and Welton Becket & Associates. Delta maintained a Chicago hub for some time, and opened a new Concourse L, initially known as the "Delta Flight Center", designed by Perkins and Will and Milton Pate & Associates, in Terminal 3 in 1983, but ultimately closed its Chicago hub in the 1990s.

Total annual passenger volume at O'Hare reached 30 million in 1968, 40 million in 1976, 60 million in 1990 and 70 million in 1997.

A $80 million renovation of Concourse G in Terminal 3 designed by Teng & Associates, Inc. began in the spring of 1999 and finished in the spring of 2001. The concourse was enlarged into a 144,500-square-foot (13,420 m²) facility with 25 remodeled gates. Six large "sky vaults", huge skylights atop V-shaped columns that bring natural light into a previously confined space, were constructed. A new 4,138-square-foot (384.4 m²) Admirals Club was also added to the concourse.

Delta moved its operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in 2009 in order to align its operations with merger partner Northwest. Continental moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in 2010 prior to merging with United.

In 2013, the Chicago Department of Aviation appropriated a $19,500 two-year contract to use livestock, specifically goats, sheep, llamas, and burros, to assist with grounds maintenance. This plan was implemented due to difficulties in reaching certain areas on the runway property with traditional lawn mowing machines due to rocky or sloped terrain. About 25 animals were recruited chiefly to clear growing vegetation around the approximately 120-acre (49 ha) space around the runways. A secondary reason for the introduction of the animals, especially the llamas and burros, was to reduce interference from wildlife such as coyotes and birds that may come when smaller prey settle in unmaintained, grassy areas.

United States Air Force use

See: O'Hare Air Reserve Station

The original Douglas Aircraft C-54 Skymaster transport manufacturing plant on the northeast side of the airport became a United States Air Force Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve facility after World War II. It was used by the United States Air Force from 1947 until 1999 as O'Hare Air Reserve Station, making the airport a joint civil-military airfield during this period.

The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closure of O'Hare Air Reserve Station as proposed by the municipal government of the City of Chicago and the transfer of both the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW) and its KC-135 aircraft, and the Air Force Reserve Command's 928th Airlift Wing (928 AW) and its C-130 aircraft to new facilities to be constructed at Scott AFB, Illinois. The 126 ARW moved from the former O'Hare Air Reserve Station to Scott AFB, Illinois in 1999 as recommended by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's Report to Congress in conjunction with the closure of the Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard facilities at O'Hare. Instead of moving to Scott AFB, subsequent BRAC action directed that the 928 AW be inactivated and its C-130 aircraft reallocated to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units.

Following the closure of the O'Hare Air Reserve Station, the former United States Air Force facilities were redeveloped for air cargo and general aviation. This was partly necessitated by the illegal closure of Meigs Field which diverted General Aviation in Chicago to O'Hare and Midway. Today, Signature Flight Support services private aircraft in this area.

Infrastructure

Runways

Runway layout at ORD

On October 17, 2013 O'Hare opened Runway 10C-28C. The opening of this eighth runway marked the completion of the Phase II expansion project. O'Hare landings have been reconfigured to predominately use a triple arrival scheme utilizing three of the four parallel runways, with the fourth runway being used for takeoffs.

Before the opening of 10C-28C, the new runway, 9L/27R which opened in November 2008, O'Hare had seven runways in three roughly-parallel sets. The longest is Runway 10L–28R, 13,001 by 150 feet (3,963 m × 46 m). Runways 9L, 10C, 10L, 14R, 27L, 27R, 28C and 28R have Category III instrument landing systems (ILS), allowing trained aircrews to conduct landings with as little as 600 feet (180 m) of horizontal visibility. All other runway approaches except 4L and 32L have full Category I ILS. Runway 4L is seldom used for landings and has a localizer, the horizontal guidance component of an ILS system, but does not have a glideslope, the vertical component. Runway 32L was permanently closed to landings when the section south of the crossing with Runway 10L/28R was closed due to 10C/28C construction.

Prior to the runway reconfiguration, all of O'Hare's runways intersected each other with the exception of 4R/22L. This created problems in inclement weather, busy times, or high winds, and several near-collisions. The redevelopment, which essentially eliminates most active runway intersections, is intended to reduce collision hazards and delays.

The field started with four clustered runways; in March 1950 all were 5,500 to 5,750 feet (1,680–1,750 m) long. Runway 14 (later 14L) became 7,345 feet (2,239 m) around 1952; the 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway 14R/32L opened in 1956 and became 11,600 feet (3,500 m) long in 1960. The 10,000-foot (3,000 m) 9R/27L (now designated 10L/28R) opened in 1968 and 14L became 10,000 feet (3,000 m) long around the same time. 4R/22L opened in 1971 and the new 9L/27R in 2008. In 2003 the fourth original runway (18/36) closed; its short length, lack of use, and placement no longer justified certification. Runway 18/36 is now taxiway M on airport charts. On August 21, 2015, runway (14L/32R) was closed.

The redevelopment, when completed, will remove the two northwest–southeast runways (14/32 L/R), construct four additional east–west runways (10C/28C, 10R/28L, 9L/27R, and 9C/27C), and extend the existing east–west runways (9R/27L and 10L/28R). The two existing northeast–southwest (4/22 L/R) runways will be retained. Currently, two of the four new runways have been constructed (9L/27R, 10C/28C), and one of the two extensions (10L/28R) has been completed.

In the earlier airfield layout, 32L was often used for takeoffs in a shortened configuration. Planes reached the runway at taxiway T10 (common) or taxiway N, formerly M (not common). This shortened the runway but allowed operations on runway 10L/28R to continue without restriction. The full length of the runway was available upon request, though with the extension of 10L/28R it was usually not needed. In May 2010 runway 14R/32L was permanently shortened to 9,685 feet (2,952 m) and it now starts at taxiway N.

O'Hare has a voluntary nighttime (2200–0700) noise abatement program.

The runway reconfiguration at O'Hare will also improve the airport for future Airbus A380 service. On July 5, 2007 the runway previously designated 9R/27L became runway 10/28. On May 2, 2013, that same runway (10/28) became 10L/28R. On August 30, 2007, runway 9L/27R became 9R/27L.

On September 25, 2008, a 2,857-foot (871 m) extension to 10L/28R opened. On May 2, 2013, airport diagrams published by the FAA depicted the runway previously designated 10/28 as 10L/28R.

Runway 10C/28C was commissioned and opened for regular use on October 17, 2013. On October 17, 2013, airport diagrams published by the FAA depicted the runway as open.

On October 15, 2015, Runway 10R/28L was commissioned. The new 7,500-foot runway will be used almost exclusively for planes arriving toward the east up until 10 p.m. daily. The runway will increase arrival and departure rates at O'Hare by about 25 percent in good weather, all while handling only 5 percent of all daytime flights annually over the next five years. However, the runway sits on the southernmost part of the airfield which aligns roughly with Irving Park Road in Bensenville. Since the runway is several miles from the passenger terminals, the average taxi time is estimated at about 20 minutes. The cost of the runway and a taxiway was $516 million, and they are being controlled by a new air-traffic control tower that cost $41 million to build, according to the FAA and the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Intra-airport transportation

Main article: Airport Transit System

Airport Transit System with Hilton Hotel in Background

Access within the airport complex can be accomplished using a 2.5 mi (4 km)-long automated people mover that operates 24 hours a day, connecting all four terminals landside and the remote parking lots. The system began operation on May 6, 1993, and is now undergoing a US$240 million enhancement to add 15 new cars, upgrade the current infrastructure, and to extend the line to a new consolidated rental car facility where lot F is currently situated.

Other facilities

Nippon Cargo Airlines has its Americas regional office on the O'Hare property.

A large air cargo complex on the southwest side of the field was opened in 1984, replacing most of the old cargo area, which stood where Terminal 5 now exists. This complex sits right in the middle of the footprint for new runway 10C/28C, and is to be replaced by a new facility located on the northeastern portion of the airfield.

The new North Terminal Air Traffic Control Tower was completed in September 2008 and commissioned for use on November 20, 2008. The new tower was designed by DMJM Aviation-Holmes & Narver Aviation Partners JV (design principal Jose Luis Palacios).

The USO has a facility in Terminal 2 for the use of military personnel arriving or departing, as well as military recruits going to Recruit Training Command, which has a booth at O'Hare to coordinate transportation to Naval Station Great Lakes for Naval recruits arriving via airplane.

Along with several other airports around the world, O'Hare has used portions of some of its land to allow urban bee keeping. Intended to raise the environmental profile of airports – with 75 hives, O'Hare is the world's largest airport bee keeper, as of 2015.

Terminals

A terminal map of O'Hare Airport

Passengers stranded overnight are provided a secure area with dimmed lights, cots, pillows, blankets, and toiletries.

O'Hare has four numbered passenger terminals with nine lettered concourses and a total of 182 gates. Two or more additional terminal buildings are envisioned; there is the possibility of a large terminal complex for the west side of the field, with access from I-90 and/or the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, if the runway reconfiguration is completed and passenger numbers require additional terminals.

All international arrivals at O'Hare (except for flights from destinations with U.S. Customs preclearance) arrive at Terminal 5, as the other terminals do not have Customs facilities. Since a number of carriers that have international flights from O'Hare, like United and American, are based in Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, those airlines will have their aircraft offloaded at Terminal 5 and then, after passengers are offloaded, the plane is towed empty back to a gate at the airline's assigned terminal for boarding. This is done, in part to make connections for passengers transferring from domestic flights to international flights easier, since while Terminals 1, 2, and 3 allow airside connections between each other via a long corridor, Terminal 5 is separated from the other terminals by a set of taxiways that cross over the airport's access road, requiring passengers to exit security, ride the Airport Transit System, then reclear security in either direction.

Terminal 1

United Airlines Terminal 1, Concourse B

An underground pedestrian walkway connects Concourse B to Concourse C, illuminated by a neon light show

United Airlines Terminal 1, Concourse C

Terminal 1 is used for United Airlines flights, including all mainline flights and some United Express operations, as well as flights for Star Alliance partners Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways. It has 50 gates on two concourses:

• Concourse B – 22 gates
• Concourse C – 28 gates

Concourses B and C are linear concourses located in separate buildings parallel to each other. Concourse B is adjacent to the airport roadway and houses passenger check-in, baggage claim and security screening on its landside and aircraft gates on its airside. Concourse C is a satellite terminal with gates on all sides, in the middle of the tarmac, and is connected to Concourse B via an underground pedestrian tunnel under the tarmac. The tunnel originates between gates B8 and B9 in Concourse B, and ends on Concourse C between gates C17 and C19. The tunnel is illuminated with a neon installation titled Sky's the Limit (1987) by Canadian artist Michael Hayden, which plays an airy and very slow-tempo version of "Rhapsody in Blue".

United also runs a post-security shuttle bus service between Concourse C (at Gate C9) in Terminal 1 and Concourses E & F (at Gate E4) in Terminal 2. There are three United Clubs in Terminal 1: one on Concourse B near gate B6, one located near gate B16, and one on Concourse C near gate C16. There is also a United First International Lounge and United Arrivals Suite in Concourse C near gate C18.

Terminal 1 houses All Nippon Airways's Chicago office.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 houses Air Canada as well as Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection domestic flights (Delta's wintertime international service between O'Hare and Paris operates from Terminal 5 as the gates in Terminal 2 do not accommodate the Boeing 767-300ER normally assigned to that route). Terminal 2 is also used for most of the United Express operations, although check-in for these flights is conducted at Terminal 1. There is a United Club in Concourse F near gate F8, and a Delta Sky Club on Concourse E near gate E6. United Continental Holdings, United's parent company, is currently upgrading its facilities at Terminal 2, including constructing 10 new jet bridges for the regional flights, reconfiguration of the holding rooms, and a newly constructed United Club as a replacement of the current lounge.

US Airways previously operated out of Terminal 2 until they moved operations to Terminal 3 in July 2014, so as to be located with its merger partner American Airlines. Check-in for US Airways remained at Terminal 2 until September 16, 2014, in which ticket counters were relocated to Terminal 3.

Terminal 2 has 43 gates on two concourses:

• Concourse E – 17 gates
• Concourse F – 26 gates

Terminal 3

American Airlines Terminal 3 Main Hall

American Airlines Terminal 3, Concourse H

Terminal 3 houses all American Airlines flights, as well as departures for select Oneworld carriers including Air Berlin, Iberia, and Japan Airlines, plus unaffiliated low-cost carriers. Terminal 3 has 71 gates on four concourses:

• Concourse G – 25 gates
• Concourse H – 18 gates
• Concourse K – 16 gates
• Concourse L – 12 gates

Concourse G houses most of the American Eagle operations, while Concourses H and K house American's mainline operations. Alaska Airlines now solely operates from Concourse H. Concourse L, the previous home of Delta, also is used for some American Eagle flights. American's Oneworld partners Japan Airlines and Air Berlin depart out of gate K19 and Iberia out of L10. There are two Admirals Clubs in Terminal 3: one located in the crosswalk area between gates H6 and K6, and a smaller one in Concourse G across from gate G8. American also has a Flagship Lounge located near gate K19. Low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin America and Air Choice One operate the odd-numbered gate side of Concourse L beginning at gate L3. Frontier Airlines operates out of Gates L1 and L2.

Terminal 5 (International)

Terminal 5, with flags of countries around the world

Aircraft lined up at Terminal 5

Terminal 5 has 21 gates and is designated on airport maps as Concourse M.

All of O'Hare's international arrivals (excluding flights from destinations with U.S. border preclearance, including flights operated by Aer Lingus and Etihad Airways) are processed at Terminal 5. With the exception of select Star Alliance and Oneworld carriers that board from Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, all non-US carriers except Air Canada depart from Terminal 5 (Delta is the only major US carrier that uses Terminal 5, for its winter seasonal flight to Paris).

Terminal 5 has several airline lounges, including the Air France VIP Lounge, British Airways First Class Galleries and Business Class Terraces Lounge, Korean Air Lounge, Scandinavian Airlines Business Lounge and Swiss International Air Lines Lounge. The airport's U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility is located at the arrival (lower) level.

Terminal 5 underwent a $26 million renovation designed by A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc., which began in July 2012, which involved adding dining and retail post-security, including many Chicago-based restaurants and brands, updated design, and a re-engineered layout. The project was completed on April 4, 2014. Terminal 5 is run by Westfield Management.

Previous terminals

Old Terminal 1

Terminal 1 was the original international terminal. It was opened in 1955, it became the international terminal in 1963 and was demolished in 1984 to make way for the current Terminal 1. It was replaced by a temporary Terminal 4 built in 1984. The terminal was connected to Terminal 2 by a glass-enclosed hallway. It had a Y shaped concourse similar to Concourses H/K in Terminal 3. There was also a satellite Concourse A that served commuter airlines. Among the airlines that used to operate from this terminal were Air France, El Al, Icelandair, Mexicana de Aviación, Pan Am and Sabena.

Terminal 2 (Concourse D)

A Concourse D in Terminal 2 previously existed and served as the concourse for AirCal, Air Wisconsin, Braniff, Continental, Eastern, Frontier Airlines, Northwest Orient, People Express, Piedmont and United Express until it was demolished in 1988 to make room for the current Terminal 1 concourses. It consisted of 12 gates.

Terminal 4

Due to the construction of Terminal 1 for United, international flights were relocated to a temporary Terminal 4 from 1984 until 1993. Terminal 4 was located on the ground floor of the main parking garage; international passengers would check in there and be taken directly to their aircraft by bus. Ground for the new US$618 million International Terminal was broken on July 11, 1990 with airline executives and government officials, led by Mayor Richard M. Daley and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Samuel K. Skinner, in attendance. The new Terminal 5, designed by Perkins and Will in conjunction with Heard & Associates and Consoer Townsend & Associates partially opened on May 27, 1993 with its two lower levels completed to handle all international arrivals. The rest of the terminal, including the departures level, opened on September 30, 1993. Since the opening of Terminal 5, Terminal 4 has been made into the airport's facility for CTA buses, hotel shuttles, and other ground transportation; the Terminal 4 designation may be used again in the future as new terminals are developed. The CTA Blue Line was extended to the airport in 1984.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Note: All international arrivals, except for arrivals from airports with U.S. customs preclearance, are serviced at Terminal 5, regardless of the listed departure terminal.

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal/ Concourse
Aer Lingus	Dublin	5M
Aeroméxico	Guadalajara, Mexico City, Morelia Seasonal Charter: Cozumel, Huatulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta	5M
Air Berlin	Berlin–Tegel	3K
Air Canada	Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver (resumes June 4, 2016) Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau	2E
Air Canada Express	Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson	2E
Air Choice One	Burlington (IA), Decatur, Ironwood, Mason City	3L
Air France	Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle	5M
Air India	Delhi, Hyderabad	5M
Alaska Airlines	Anchorage, Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma	3H
Alitalia	Seasonal: Rome–Fiumicino	5M
All Nippon Airways	Tokyo–Narita	1C
American Airlines	Atlanta, Austin, Beijing–Capital, Boston, Cancún, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Pudong, Tampa, Tokyo–Narita, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington–National, West Palm Beach Seasonal: Cozumel, Detroit, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Eagle/Vail, Houston–Intercontinental, Jackson Hole, Rome–Fiumicino, Manchester (UK), Montego Bay, Palm Springs, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Salt Lake City	3H, 3K, 3L,
American Eagle	Albany (NY) (resumes March 3, 2016), Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, Bismarck, Bloomington/Normal, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Champaign/Urbana, Charlottesville, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia (MO), Columbus (OH), Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Dubuque, El Paso, Evansville, Fargo, Flint, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Harrisburg, Hartford/Springfield, Houston–Intercontinental, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Kitchener/Waterloo (ON), Knoxville, La Crosse, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Manhattan (KS), Marquette, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Moline–Quad City, Montréal–Trudeau, Nashville, New Orleans, Newark, Norfolk (begins April 5, 2016), Oklahoma City, Omaha, Peoria, Philadelphia (resumes March 5, 2016), Pittsburgh, Providence (resumes April 5, 2016), Richmond, Rochester (MN), Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Springfield/Branson, Syracuse, Toledo, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tulsa, Washington–National, Waterloo (IA), Wausau/Stevens Point, White Plains, Wichita Seasonal: Aspen, Boston, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Montrose, Rapid City	3G, 3H, 3K, 3L
Asiana Airlines	Seoul–Incheon	5M
Austrian Airlines	Vienna	5M
Avianca El Salvador	San Salvador	5M
British Airways	London–Heathrow	5M
Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong	5M
Cayman Airways	Seasonal: Grand Cayman	5M
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai–Pudong (begins March 18, 2016)	5M
Copa Airlines	Panama City	5M
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle	2E, 5M
Delta Connection	Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, Salt Lake City	2E
Delta Shuttle	New York–LaGuardia	2E
Emirates	Dubai–International	5M
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi	5M
Finnair	Seasonal: Helsinki	5M
Frontier Airlines	Atlanta, Charlotte (begins April 15, 2016), Denver, Kansas City (begins April 14, 2016), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul (begins April 15, 2016), Nashville (begins April 14, 2016), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh (begins June 16, 2016), Portland (OR) (begins April 14, 2016), Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma (begins April 14, 2016), St. Augustine (begins April 14, 2016), Tampa, Trenton Seasonal: Austin, Raleigh/Durham, San Francisco Charter: Cancún, Punta Cana	3L
Hainan Airlines	Beijing–Capital	5M
Iberia	Madrid	3K
Icelandair	Reykjavík–Keflavík (begins March 16, 2016)	5M
Japan Airlines	Tokyo–Narita	3K
JetBlue Airways	Boston, New York–JFK, San Juan	3L
KLM	Amsterdam	5M
Korean Air	Seoul–Incheon	5M
LOT Polish Airlines	Warsaw–Chopin	5M
Lufthansa	Frankfurt, Munich	1B
Qatar Airways	Doha	5M
Royal Jordanian	Amman–Queen Alia	5M
Scandinavian Airlines	Copenhagen, Stockholm–Arlanda	5M
Spirit Airlines	Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tampa Seasonal: Atlantic City, Boston, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, Portland (OR)	3L
Swiss International Air Lines	Zürich	5M
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul–Atatürk	5M
United Airlines	Albany, Amsterdam, Aruba, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Beijing–Capital, Belize City, Boston, Brussels, Buffalo, Calgary, Cancún, Charleston (SC)(begins April 5, 2016), Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Frankfurt, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Hartford/Springfield, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madison, Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Munich, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–La Guardia, Newark, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Sarasota, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Tampa, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, Wichita Seasonal: Albuquerque, Anchorage, Boise, Bozeman, Burlington (VT), Cozumel, Dublin, Edinburgh, Fairbanks, Grand Cayman, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Jackson Hole, Jacksonville (FL), Kahului, Liberia, Montego Bay, Montrose, Nassau, Palm Springs, Providenciales, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Rome–Fiumicino, Shannon, Saint Lucia–Hewanorra, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San José del Cabo, San Jose de Costa Rica, Vail/Eagle, West Palm Beach	1B, 1C
United Express	Akron/Canton, Albany, Albuquerque, Allentown/Bethlehem, Appleton, Asheville, Aspen, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham (AL), Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Burlington (VT), Calgary, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charleston (WV), Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia (SC), Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Des Moines, Detroit, Duluth, Eau Claire, Edmonton, Elmira/Corning, Erie, Evansville, Flint, Fargo, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Houghton/Hancock, Harrisburg, Hartford/Springfield, Houston–Intercontinental, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson (MS), Jacksonville (FL), Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Lincoln, Little Rock, London (ON), Louisville, Madison, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Mobile, Moline–Quad City, Monterrey, Montréal–Trudeau, Muskegon, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ottawa, Paducah, Peoria, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Québec City, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Saginaw, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Savannah, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield (IL), Springfield/Branson, State College, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tulsa, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, Wausau/Stevens Point, White Plains, Wichita, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton, Winnipeg Seasonal: Bangor, Billings, Bozeman, Cody, Gunnison/Crested Butte, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, Kalispell, Miami, Missoula, Montrose, Myrtle Beach, Nassau, Pensacola, Rapid City, Tucson	1B, 1C, 2E, 2F
Virgin America	Los Angeles, San Francisco	3L
Virgin Atlantic	Seasonal: London–Heathrow	5M
Volaris	Guadalajara, Mexico City	5M
WestJet	Seasonal: Calgary	5M
Xtra Airways	Seasonal Charter: Liberia (CR), Montego Bay, San José del Cabo (begins February 6, 2016)	5M

^1 United's check-in and baggage claim is located at Terminal 1 but uses Concourses E and F, which are part of Terminal 2.

Prospective flights

Air Serbia wants to launch flights from Belgrade to New York, Toronto, and Chicago in early 2016. The Serbian carrier currently only operates a fleet of short- to medium-range narrow-body aircraft but has plans to operate the flights by leasing the Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines is planning on expanding its US long-haul network as it takes delivery of its new Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787–8 aircraft. Ethiopian is looking at possible flights to Chicago and Houston from Addis Ababa, which could be launched in 2017.

EVA Air has plans to launch a Taipei–Taoyuan to Chicago O'Hare passenger route in 2016.

Interjet intends to expand to various cities in the United States including Chicago. The carrier currently flies to five destinations in the US including Houston, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Miami, and New York. Oneworld has stated that it is interested in recruiting an airline from Mexico, preferably Interjet, to fill in the void left by Mexicana de Aviación. In 2014, several Oneworld airlines signed codeshare agreements with the Mexican carrier including American Airlines

Philippine Airlines announced a US expansion plan in which its fourth mainland US destination would most likely be Chicago. The carrier has previously served Chicago via Honolulu (once weekly) and San Francisco (twice weekly) on a Boeing 747-200 in the 1980s. PAL would operate on a nonstop flight from Manila on a Boeing 777-300ER or a new higher gross weight version of the A350-900.

Qantas has expressed interest in servicing Chicago from Sydney with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ever growing their Trans-Pacific joint venture agreement with Oneworld partner American Airlines.

TAP Portugal wants to expand its network to the US by possibly adding flights to Boston, Washington, and Chicago from its hub in Lisbon.

Cargo

There are two main cargo areas at O'Hare that have warehouse, build-up/tear-down and aircraft parking facilities. The Southwest Cargo Area, adjacent to Irving Park Road, accommodates over 80% of the airport's all-cargo flights, divided among 9 buildings in two tiers. The North Cargo Area, which is a modest conversion of the former military base (the 1943 Douglas plant area), also receives air freighters. It is adjacent to the northern portion of Bessie Coleman Drive.

Two satellite cargo areas have warehouse and build-up/tear down facilities, but aircraft do not park at these. Freight is trucked to/from aircraft on other ramps. The South Cargo Area is along Mannheim Road. The East Cargo Area, adjacent to Terminal 5, was formerly the airport's only cargo section but has now mostly evolved into an airport support zone.

The Southwest Cargo Area partially lies in the path of one of the new runways (10C/28C). The redevelopment of the airfield will entail moving/replacing this primary cargo hub.

Airlines	Destinations
AeroUnion	Mexico City
AirBridgeCargo Airlines	Amsterdam, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow–Domodedovo
Air China Cargo	Anchorage, Los Angeles, New York–JFK
Air France Cargo	Dublin, Glasgow–Prestwick, New York–JFK, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Asiana Cargo	Anchorage, Atlanta, Houston–Intercontinental, New York–JFK, Seoul–Incheon, Seattle/Tacoma
Atlas Air	Anchorage, Miami, Seoul–Incheon
Cargolux	Anchorage, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, New York–JFK, Zhengzhou
Cathay Pacific Cargo	Anchorage, New York–JFK
China Airlines Cargo	Anchorage, Houston–Intercontinental, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma
China Cargo Airlines	Anchorage, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth
China Southern Cargo	Shanghai–Pudong
DHL Aviation operated by ABX Air	Cincinnati
DHL Aviation operated by Atlas Air	Calgary, Cincinnati
Emirates SkyCargo	Brussels
Etihad Cargo	Abu Dhabi, Miami
EVA Air Cargo	Anchorage, Taipei–Taoyuan
FedEx Express	Detroit, Fort Worth/Alliance, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Newark, Oakland, Seattle, Pittsburgh
Kalitta Air	Anchorage, Khabarovsk, Newark, New York–JFK
Korean Air Cargo	Anchorage, Halifax, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Toronto–Pearson
LOT Polish Airlines operated by Cargojet	Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Cargo	Anchorage, Atlanta, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Manchester (UK), Mexico City, New York–JFK
Lufthansa Cargo operated by AeroLogic	Frankfurt
Nippon Cargo Airlines	Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Frankfurt–Hahn, Los Angeles, New York–JFK
Qantas Freight operated by Atlas Air	Anchorage, Auckland, Chongqing, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Sydney
Qatar Airways Cargo	Amsterdam, Doha, Los Angeles, Milan–Malpensa
Singapore Airlines Cargo	Anchorage, Atlanta, Brussels, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma
Sky Lease Cargo	Louisville, Portland (OR)
TNT Airways	Liege
Turkish Airlines Cargo	Istanbul–Atatürk, Maastricht, Shannon
UPS Airlines	Cologne/Bonn, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Louisville, Philadelphia
Yangtze River Express	Anchorage, Brussels, Shanghai–Pudong

Statistics

A KLM Asia Boeing 747-400 taxiing

A Korean Air Boeing 747-400 taxiing

An Air Berlin Airbus A330-200 taxiing

A United Airlines Boeing 747-400 taxiing

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from ORD (Oct 2014 – Sep 2015)

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
1	New York–LaGuardia, New York	1,453,000	American, Delta, Spirit, United
2	Los Angeles, California	1,220,000	American, Frontier, Spirit, United, Virgin America
3	San Francisco, California	1,153,000	American, Frontier, United, Virgin America
4	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	1,032,000	American, Spirit, United
5	Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota	933,000	American, Delta, Spirit, United
6	Boston, Massachusetts	908,000	American, JetBlue, Spirit, United
7	Atlanta, Georgia	887,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit, United
8	Denver, Colorado	855,000	American, Frontier, Spirit, United
9	Washington–National, D.C.	717,000	American, United
10	Phoenix, Arizona	709,000	American, Frontier, Spirit, United, US Airways

Busiest international routes from ORD (2014)

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Change 2013/2014	Carriers
1	London (Heathrow), United Kingdom	1,120,753	02.1%	American, British Airways, United, Virgin Atlantic
2	Tokyo (Narita), Japan	691,331	012.7%	All Nippon, American, JAL, United
3	Frankfurt, Germany	651,861	04.9%	Lufthansa, United
4	Toronto (Pearson), Canada	614,465	05.3%	Air Canada, American, United
5	Mexico City, Mexico	425,733	030.0%	Aeroméxico, American, United, Volaris
6	Cancún, Mexico	409,308	024.5%	American, Frontier, United
7	Beijing (Capital), China	362,583	014.3%	American, Hainan, United
8	Hong Kong, Hong Kong	352,945	00.0%	Cathay Pacific, United
9	Paris (Charles de Gaulle), France	328,884	00.7%	Air France, American, Delta, United
10	Shanghai (Pudong), China	326,734	04.9%	American, United

Traffic by calendar year

Year	Passenger volume	Change over previous year	Aircraft operations	Cargo tonnage
2000	72,144,244	00.64%	908,989	1,640,524.1
2001	67,448,064	06.51%	911,917	1,413,834.4
2002	66,565,952	01.31%	922,817	1,436,385.7
2003	69,508,672	04.40%	928,691	1,601,735.5
2004	75,533,822	08.67%	992,427	1,685,808.0
2005	76,581,146	01.38%	972,248	1,701,446.1
2006	76,282,212	00.30%	958,643	1,718,011.0
2007	76,182,025	00.15%	926,973	1,690,741.6
2008	70,819,015	07.03%	881,566	1,480,847.4
2009	64,397,782	09.07%	827,899	1,198,426.3
2010	67,026,191	03.83%	882,617	1,577,047.8
2011	66,790,996	00.35%	878,798	1,505,217.6
2012	66,834,931	00.04%	878,108	1,443,568.7
2013	66,909,638	00.12%	883,287	1,434,377.1
2014	70,075,204	04.45%	881,933	1,578,330.1
2015 YTD	64,557,966	09.72%	735,742	1,459,711.7

Ground transportation

O'Hare, the airport's 'L' station, is a terminus for the Blue Line.

Rail

Chicago 'L'

The Blue Line provides 'L' service from O'Hare to the Loop and the West Side, departing from an underground station accessible by pedestrian tunnels from Terminals 1, 2, and 3. The station opened on September 3, 1984. Trains run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing connection via downtown Chicago to Forest Park.

Metra

Commuter trains from the Metra North Central Service stop at the O'Hare Transfer station, which is connected to the Airport Transit System via a shuttle bus. Trains run only on weekdays.

Car

Road vehicles enter and exit via I-190, which branches off I-90 (the Kennedy Expressway) leading to downtown Chicago. Cars may also access the airport locally from Mannheim Road, the airport's eastern boundary. Aside from cargo access on its south side, all airport traffic travels through the east side of the airport. Local residents sometimes refer to I-190 as "the world's busiest Cul-de-sac" as a result of the one way access.

Taxi

Taxi and Limo Services also provide transportation to/from Chicago O'Hare Airport. Fares vary based on traffic, average fares from O'Hare to downtown Chicago are $30–$40.

Bus

Regional buses, taking passengers to Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin arrive and depart from the Bus / Shuttle Center. It is located on the ground level of the Main Parking Garage, accessible by pedestrian tunnels from Terminals 1, 2, and 3.

Cell Phone Lot

A cell phone lot can be reached via the North Mannheim Road exit off the I-190. Signs direct drivers to the Economy Parking Lot F/Cell Phone Lot. An information display provides arrival time updates.

Modernization plan

O'Hare's high volume and crowded schedule can lead to long delays and cancellations that, due to the airport being a major hub, can have a ripple effect on air travel across North America. Official reports rank O'Hare as one of the least punctual airports in the United States based on percentage of delayed flights. In 2004, United Airlines and American Airlines agreed to modify their flight schedules to help reduce congestion caused by clustered arrivals and departures. Because of the air traffic departing, arriving, and near the airport, air traffic controllers at O'Hare and its nearby facilities are among the leaders in the world in terms of number of controlled flights handled per hour.

City management has committed to a $6 billion capital investment plan to increase the airport's capacity by 60% and decrease delays by an estimated 79 percent. This plan was approved by the FAA in October 2005 and will involve a reconfiguration of the airfield and addition of terminal space. The plan includes the addition of four runways, the lengthening of two existing runways, and the decommissioning of two existing runways in order to give the airfield six parallel runways in a configuration similar to that used at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and other large modern hub airports. This plan was very controversial as the added improvements, at the time they were proposed, were expected to increase the airport's air traffic capacity only slightly, given existing FAA rules. Additionally, the southernmost new runway would require the city acquiring additional land, which was extremely controversial as residents did not want to move.

The Modernization Plan is now being implemented; an additional runway and Air Traffic Control Tower were commissioned on November 20, 2008. The new north runway, designated 9L/27R, initially served as a foul weather arrival runway, addressing one of O'Hare's primary causes of delays, but now serves as one of three runways that can be used simultaneously for landings. An extension of Runway 10L/28R (formerly 10/28, and prior to that 9R/27L) to 13,001 feet (3,963 m) was commissioned for use on September 25, 2008, facilitating the shortening and eventual closure of the 13,000 feet (4,000 m) Runway 14R/32L. At the same time, the FAA redesigned the departure routes for both O'Hare and Midway airports, increasing the number from three shared by both airports to five from each airport. With the new runway's opening, O'Hare's maximum aircraft arrival capacity increased from 96 planes per hour to 112 planes per hour; United Airlines's senior vice president of operations, Joseph Kolshak, told The Wall Street Journal that within a month of the runway's opening, "they were consistently hitting that."

As part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's $7.3 billion infrastructure modernization plan, announced in March 2012, the airport would receive an additional $1.4 billion over three years to hasten the completion of the modernization effort. The plan calls for accelerated completion of the fourth and final new runway as well as resumed negotiations with the airport's major airlines in an effort to boost O'Hare's overall capacity by 300,000 passengers per year by 2015.

The modernization plan has required the acquisition of 126 acres (51 ha) of land in Des Plaines, Illinois; construction of runway 27R and the control tower cost $457 million and involved the rerouting of a creek and 14,000,000 cubic yards (11,000,000 m³) of fill to build up an embankment.." 2,800 residents had to be relocated, as well as a cemetery with 900 known graves. The program ultimately is expected to expand the airport's capacity to over 3,800 operations per day, up from the present capacity of 2,700, and will vastly increase passenger throughput. It will also improve the ability of very large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 to operate.

Flight caps in place since 2004 expired on October 31, 2008. American Airlines eliminated over 60 daily flights at O'Hare because of rising fuel prices. United announced similar cutbacks. Recent worldwide economic difficulties further complicate the forecasts for airport demand.

After initially opposing the Modernization plan, DuPage County has endorsed the plan citing the creation of jobs, commercial development, and the ability of O'Hare to regain the status as busiest airport.

  existing runway

  new runway

  removed runway

• 

  Phase 1 (Complete, runway 18/36 was closed before)

• 

  Phase 2 (Complete)

• 

  Phase 3 (In August 2015 14L/32R was closed. Runway 10R/28L opened 10/15/15)

• 

  Final runway configuration

Resistance and alternatives

The neighboring communities of Bensenville and Elk Grove Village have been centers of resistance to the expansion plan, due to their proximity to the airport and because some of their residents and businesses would be required to relocate. Bensenville and Elk Grove Village formed the Suburban O'Hare Commission to fight the expansion. So far, they have not had much success. The commission did receive a temporary injunction against portions of the city's expansion project; it was soon overturned, however. The Suburban O'Hare Commission has also been instrumental in pushing for a third regional airport in south suburban Peotone, which it claims would alleviate congestion at O'Hare. No airline has committed to the proposed airport, however, and planning efforts moved very slowly during 2007–08. In 2008, Elk Grove Village ended resistance. They received assurance that a proposed highway would not be built through their business park. In November 2009, Bensenville officially ended all resistance to the expansion, ceasing all legal challenges against the city of Chicago. They received a one-time $16-million payment from Chicago. The city of Chicago also faced a five-year court battle to acquire a small, historical cemetery located within the space of their planned runway expansion. A settlement was finally reached in December 2012, between St. John United Church of Christ in Bensenville and the city of Chicago. The city agreed to pay the church $1.3 million for the 5-acre (2.0 ha) parcel on the west side of the airport, which included a 2-acre (0.81 ha) burial ground established by the church in 1849. All told, 1,494 bodies were disinterred from the St. Johannes Cemetery and reburied at various cemeteries throughout the region.

In 1995, the Chicago/Gary Airport Compact was signed by the cities of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, creating a new administration for the Gary/Chicago International Airport just across the state line. While markedly smaller than the proposed Peotone site, this airport already has more land and a longer main runway than Midway Airport. Gary is also many miles closer than Peotone to downtown Chicago. In addition public transportation is already in place to the Loop via the South Shore Line. Indiana and the FAA have provided significant funding for a Gary runway expansion, currently under construction. The issue here is a large portion of the revenue that is generated would go to the state of Indiana as opposed to Chicago and the state of Illinois, the very entities the airport would mainly serve.

Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Rockford, Illinois has also marketed itself as an alternative for congestion at O'Hare. It is at least a 1-1/2-hour trip to Rockford from the Chicago Loop. Currently there is no direct transportation service from downtown Chicago or O'Hare to Rockford airport, but airline service at the airport continues to grow. Larry Morrissey, the current mayor of Rockford, has pushed for a high-speed rail connection between the two airports to make the Rockford airport a more convenient alternative to O'Hare.

General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee has consistently attempted to increase its usage by Chicago and Northern Illinois customers, especially with the opening of an Amtrak station directly west of Mitchell providing service from Chicago Union Station via the Hiawatha Service seven times per day; O'Hare and Mitchell have no direct rail link.

Accidents and incidents

The following is a list of crashes that happened on planes en route to/from O'Hare.

• On September 17, 1961, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 had a mechanical failure in control surfaces and crashed upon takeoff, killing all 37 on board.
• On May 22, 1962, Continental Airlines Flight 11 en route to Kansas City Downtown Airport exploded over Unionville, Missouri after a suicide bomber blew himself up in the rear lavatory. All 45 on board were killed, including the suicide bomber.
• On August 16, 1965, United Airlines Flight 389 crashed 30 miles (48 km) east of O'Hare while on approach, killing all 30 on board.
• On March 21, 1968, United Airlines Flight 9963 overran runway 09R on take off. All 3 crew onboard were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
• On December 27, 1968, North Central Airlines Flight 458 crashed into a hangar at O'Hare, killing 27 onboard and one on the ground.
• On December 20, 1972, North Central Airlines Flight 575 crashed upon takeoff after colliding with Delta Airlines Flight 954 taxiing across the active runway, killing 10 passengers.
• On March 28, 1977, Douglas C-47A N57131 of Emery Worldwide was destroyed by fire following a taxiing accident. The aircraft was due to operate a cargo flight.
• On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 to Los Angeles International Airport lost its left wing engine while taking off from runway 32R, then stalled and crashed into a field on the opposite side of Touhy Avenue from present-day Runway 9L/27R, killing all 271 people on board and two people on the ground. The crash remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash in United States history, and the deadliest aviation disaster in U.S. history before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• On March 19, 1982, a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed upon approach to O'Hare 40 miles (64 km) northwest of the city (near Woodstock), killing 27 people on board.
• On August 10, 1986, American Trans Air Flight 131 caught fire on the tarmac, destroying the plane. Nobody was killed.
• On October 31, 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 from Indianapolis International Airport was circling over northwestern Indiana while waiting for a landing slot at O'Hare to open up when its wings iced up, causing the plane to dive nose-first into a cornfield, killing all 68 people on board.
• On February 9, 1998, American Airlines Flight 1340 crashed upon landing from Kansas City, injuring 22 passengers.
• On April 1, 1999, an Air China Boeing 747, Flight 9018, taxied onto an active runway at O'Hare during the takeoff of Korean Air Flight 36, another Boeing 747. Flight 36 averted a collision by taking off early and missing the Air China aircraft by 75 feet. There were 8 people on the Air China cargo plane and 379 on the Korean Air flight.
• On March 24, 2014, a Blue Line train derailed in the airport's 'L' station when it overran a bumper block. 32 people were injured, as the train rolled into the airport subway station onto a platform and crashed into an escalator.

See also

• Golden Corridor, for the region of commerce and industry surrounding O'Hare and extending west, along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
• Proposed Chicago south suburban airport

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• Official website
• O'Hare International Airport Master Plan, Chicago Dept. of Aviation
• O'Hare Modernization Program, City of Chicago
• Ward 41 Map, City of Chicago
• O'Hare History, Northwest Chicago Historical Society
• The Fascinating History Chicago's O'Hare International Airport: 1920–1960, 1960–2000, 2000 to Present
• openNav: ORD / KORD charts
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective November 28, 2024
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KORD
  • ASN accident history for ORD
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KORD
  • FAA current ORD delay information