Overview
- American said it will add 100 daily departures from Chicago O’Hare in spring 2026 across more than 75 markets, restoring pre‑pandemic spring capacity levels.
- Seasonal international service from O’Hare will run longer, with Dublin extended by about one month and Paris by about three months.
- United remains the larger carrier at O’Hare, planning nearly 650 peak summer daily departures to about 200 destinations, and it rapidly matched American’s new Erie, Tri‑Cities and Lincoln routes with higher‑frequency United Express service.
- Gate control shapes the rivalry: United holds roughly 95 gates versus about 60 for American after a 2025 reallocation that added five for United and reduced American by four; American lost a bid for a preliminary injunction and is now appealing.
- Carrier growth has contributed to O’Hare’s traffic recovery, with year‑to‑date passenger counts reported up about 7% through October, helping the airport reclaim its standing among the busiest in the U.S.