No room to land? FAA puts the brakes on O'Hare flight increases until October 2027

The Federal Aviation Administration will keep flight caps in place at Chicago O’Hare International Airport through Oct. 30, 2027, after saying the limits are needed to reduce delays and disruption during ongoing construction. According to the FAA newsroom announcement, the agency said the order, which will take effect on Sunday, Oct. 25, extends a rule that limits scheduled aircraft operations at O’Hare to 2,708 flights a day.

As reported by the Chicago Business Journal, the original order, issued April 20, was set to expire Oct. 24, 2026, but construction projects and airfield changes are expected to continue through summer 2027. In its statement, the FAA said: “significant delay and operational disruption would occur at O’Hare if the O’Hare order were to expire as originally scheduled.”

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Why the FAA acted

The April order occurred shortly after United Airlines and American Airlines both drafted plans to add flights at O’Hare, a move that the Chicago Business Journal said would have pushed peak daily operations above 3,000 flights.

The FAA confirmed the cap is meant to prevent a sharp rise in delays while work continues on the airport. Any scheduled timing that goes unused during the rest of the winter 2026-27 and summer 2027 scheduling seasons will not automatically count toward future baselines unless a carrier asks for prioritization.

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Airlines back the extension

According to the Chicago Business Journal, American Airlines said in an emailed statement that the decision is “a prudent decision that will help maintain operational stability, improve reliability, reduce delays and support a more predictable travel experience for travelers to, from and through Chicago.” The airline also said thunderstorms and long taxi times have added to operational challenges this summer.

United officials said they support the extension and thanked FAA Secretary Sean Duffy and Administrator Bryan Bedford for keeping the scheduling order in place, per the Chicago Business Journal. United said it looks forward to future growth at its hometown hub as the ORDNext construction project advances and capacity increases.

As reported by the Chicago Business Journal, ORDNext is Chicago’s $8.78 billion modernization of O’Hare’s core facilities and the largest terminal expansion in the airport’s history. The project is designed to reshape the airport as construction continues alongside the FAA’s operating limits.