American Airlines is one of two major carriers with hubs at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. (Photo credit: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
CHICAGO — The dispute over who is to blame for rising flight activity at O’Hare International Airport has become public and pointed. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom accused United Airlines of “reckless scheduling” that would lead to “gridlock.” United CEO Scott Kirby, who previously worked at American, dismissed that and welcomed federal intervention, saying the Department of Transportation would “play dad and force us to share.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is moving to curb a potential traffic jam at O’Hare this summer by proposing caps on daily takeoffs and landings. Regulators warned that planned growth — from about 2,700 daily operations last summer to more than 3,000 this year — could “stress the runway, terminal, and air traffic control systems at the airport.” In a February notice the FAA proposed capping operations at 2,800 per day; a March filing suggested tightening that further to about 2,600 per day. Agency officials have also discussed limits as low as 2,400 during meetings with airlines and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
O’Hare’s situation is unusual. It is now the busiest U.S. airport by takeoffs and landings and hosts two global hubs in close proximity. “No other airport in the world is like this,” said Joe Schwieterman, a transportation professor at DePaul University. He and other observers say American and United have been adding flights aggressively in a long-running battle for market share and gates.
Some industry veterans praised the FAA’s forward-looking move. William McGee, formerly an airline operations official and now a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, said the agency has often waited until delays and cancellations force action. “They’re being a little proactive here,” he said.
The FAA convened meetings with carriers and the city last month but has not finalized a plan. Publicly, American and United sound amenable to some reductions. Schwieterman noted airlines might be willing to trim less popular routes as fuel costs rise and to do so in a way that doesn’t advantage one competitor over the other. “They’re kind of frozen into their plans unless they both do something in unison,” he said. “That’s where the FAA can … bring some, you might say, rationality to this.”
But the Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs O’Hare, has fought the proposed cuts in public comments, calling them “unwarranted” and “regressive.” The CDA argues recent airport expansion has eased delays and increased capacity, and contends O’Hare can handle 2,800 daily operations. Its filing also said FAA officials floated lower caps during meetings.
Passengers are divided. Ferrari Benton of Chicago, a regular United flyer, said cutting nonstop flights would be “really unfortunate” and preferred more staff and flights instead. Gary Smith of Naperville said limits could reduce congestion — “a two-edged sword” — but acknowledged they would inconvenience some travelers.
The FAA’s intervention marks an uncommon preemptive step to manage operations at a major U.S. airport amid an intense carrier competition that regulators fear could overwhelm infrastructure and air traffic control this summer.
NPR’s Joel Rose reported from Washington, D.C., and Jessica Pupovac contributed from Chicago.