Your summer travel plans may be affected this year, as federal officials have ordered Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to reduce its daily flights by over 300 to address various issues.
On Thursday, the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the airport will be limited to 2,708 flights per day this summer.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that this decision was made in collaboration with the airlines operating at the airport and that travelers will ultimately benefit from these reductions. He said:
We successfully turned Newark Liberty International into the most on-time airport in the Tri-State Area by fixing telecoms issues at record speed and reducing overcapacity. Applying that same strategy at O’Hare – where unrealistic schedules were set to dramatically exceed what they could handle – will reduce delays and make this busy summer travel season a little easier—a safe, efficient, and seamless flying experience.
Photo/Wikimedia Commons
According to NBC Chicago, the airport planned to accommodate 3,080 flights, an increase of 14.8% compared to the summer of 2025. However, the FAA reported that fewer than 60% of arrivals and departures at O’Hare were on time that summer, which contributed to the decision to reduce flight operations.
Additionally, the FAA mentioned ongoing discussions between United Airlines and American Airlines regarding gate allocations at O’Hare, as well as a significant construction project to replace Terminal 2.
These new flight limitations will be in effect from May 17 to October 24, according to the FAA.
