Overview
- The Federal Aviation Administration announced an extension of its scheduling directive for Chicago O'Hare through Oct. 30, 2027, maintaining limits on how many flights can be scheduled at the airport.
- The limits keep scheduled flights at roughly 10% below previous levels, a reduction that has translated to about 400 fewer daily flights than before the order.
- American Airlines said the extension is a prudent step that has helped steady operations during a stormy summer and that its winter schedule already complies with the cap.
- United Airlines welcomed the extension and said it expects to add flights only as the ORDNext construction project raises the airport's physical capacity.
- The order aims to cut widespread delays and long taxi times now and gives airlines and travelers near-term schedule certainty, while longer-term growth depends on completion of ORDNext and expanded runways and gates.