If you’re booking flights to Chicago and worried about being delayed next time you travel though Chicago’s O’Hare airport, your not alone. Chicago O’Hare sees its share of flight delays, especially during the winter months.

But there’s good news on the Chicago horizon: The Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov) says a new runway at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) will allow the megaport to accommodate an extra 52,300 yearly operations resulting in “a slight reduction in average annual delays.”

The 7,500-foot strip known as Runway 9L/27R marks the first time O’Hare will have three parallel east-west runways, which will expedite the landing flow in certain conditions.

Next up: another runway. This one will be a 10,800-foot affair, capable of launching longer-range craft. FAA says it’s due to open in 2012, and they predict to see an even greater drop in delays from Chicago flights.

FAA says some 36 million flyers boarded flights from Chicago O’Hare in 2007 – the airport is a critical hub city for airlines including American Airlines and United Airlines.

©Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler