No more flight caps at O’Hare - better for flyers?

Four years after instituting it, the Federal Aviation Administration is doing away with the capacity ceiling at Chicago O’Hare (ORD).

Bobby Sturgell, FAA Acting Administrator, says a series of actions allows for the addition of four to five arrivals per hour at ORD. In 2004 the agency capped the number of hourly arrivals at 88 during most hours of the day.

By extending an existing runway, and preparing to open a new runway in November, Stugell says this, “will go a long way towards reducing delays by giving us much-needed additional capacity to accommodate the small increase in flights.”

The import of this, contends Sturgell: “Better service not only for travelers going to Chicago, but for anyone connecting through that city to their final destination.” Lots of flyers connect via ORD. It’s the second-busiest airport in the world, a major hub for both American Airlines and United Airlines.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler