Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered Chicago O’Hare International Airport to cut over 300 daily flights from its schedule, starting next month.
O’Hare, the largest U.S. airport by flight volume, is expected to see more than 3,080 flights on peak days this summer. With the new order, the number of flights per day will drop to 2,708 to prevent a 14.9% peak-day increase from last summer.
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After meeting with representatives from airlines and the airport, Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration announced the scheduling reduction action on Thursday.
“If you book a ticket, we want you and your family to have the certainty that you’ll fly without endless delays and cancellations,” Duffy said in a statement, citing the department’s work to make flights at Newark Liberty International Airport more efficient.
“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,” Duffy added.
United and American, the two largest airlines operating at O’Hare, welcomed the FAA’s decision to cut a few hundred flights. They will have to determine which flights to cut and when to inform passengers.
“We appreciate Secretary Duffy, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and the team for leading the process to find a solution that makes sense for everyone who cares about O’Hare’s success,” United said.
“We are pleased to have secured a sufficient level of flights through the FAA’s process to operate a successful hub at O’Hare this summer and satisfy American’s strategic objectives,” American said. “Once implemented, the FAA’s action will improve reliability and reduce delays for customers traveling from, to, and through O’Hare this summer, and ensure Chicago O’Hare retains its longstanding dual-hub structure.”
The finalized order will remain in effect from May 17 to Oct. 24.
In the coming months, the U.S. will be seeing a large amount of air traffic from Americans and foreigners due to the FIFA World Cup and the nation’s 250th anniversary this summer.
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United Airlines is projecting to serve up to 6% more flights year-over-year for its summer season. American Airlines is operating nearly 5% more flights than last summer, with 20% more flights departing from O’Hare. In other words, nearly five American flights will depart every minute.
The move comes as a number of domestic airports have faced numerous problems, including longer-than-normal security lines caused by a lack of federal funding for Transportation Security Administration officers. Earlier this month, they received their first round of back pay since the Department of Homeland Security shutdown started in mid-February.
