Overview
- In recent bond documents, the city proposes completing two satellite concourses by 2029 and then building the Global Terminal from 2029 to 2033.
- The change follows unexpectedly strong passenger growth as United and American shifted flights to O’Hare, pushing gates to their limits.
- Chicago says it cannot take Terminal 2 offline during construction, prompting a revised sequence that defers the Global Terminal.
- Construction on the first satellite concourse began in August, adding 19 gates to Terminal 1, with a second satellite planned next.
- Negotiations with United and American are underway as the aviation department advances a development framework, while an expert warns phased work could raise costs and heighten recession risk.