Chicago weighs overhaul of O'Hare expansion plan amid soaring traffic
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United Airlines planes taxi before takeoff at O'Hare International Airport in October. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
O'Hare International Airport is hitting record traffic levels, triggering the city to reevaluate its ongoing renovation project.
The big picture: A new report published by the Chaddick Institute at DePaul University points out that O'Hare had the most growth of any U.S. airport in 2024.
- It could see up to 30% more passenger traffic by 2033, which the report says would be difficult to accommodate following the current renovation timeline.
Why it matters: The city is listening. Planners want to reshuffle the terminal construction timeline, deprioritizing the renovation of Terminal 2 to become the new global terminal.
- The report suggests the city can't afford to focus on the sleek new terminal, designed by renowned architect Jeanne Gang, because it will offer fewer gates than before.
- Instead, the city wants to focus on the two satellite concourses, which would be finished by 2029, and focus on the global terminal last.
Between the lines: O'Hare is already one of the busiest airports in the country, generating $38 billion in economic impact for the city, but it ranks low in customer satisfaction.
Context: The city and the airport's two major airlines struck a deal earlier this year to finance renovations through 2033 after several delays due to pandemic-related costs. The project was originally supposed to be completed by 2026.
What they're saying: "O'Hare has suddenly become the country's hottest airport in terms of traffic growth, and this creates new challenges for terminal expansion," DePaul professor and report co-author Joe Schwieterman tells Axios.
- "So much has changed since the current plan for terminal construction was hatched."
By the numbers: The report suggests the traffic increases are a good thing for the airport after a post-pandemic lull. There has been record growth at the airport in 2025, including a 5.1% increase in passenger traffic.
Yes, but: As passenger traffic expanded, so did the airlines' use of the airport. United and American Airlines flights out of O'Hare are up almost 19% since 2023.
- The airport averaged 5.9 departures per gate in August, the highest among U.S. hub airports.
Zoom in: This growth was made possible by the city's O'Hare 21 terminal project, which has already finished a handful of new gates.
The bottom line: "This is a good problem for the city to have — surging demand for gate and terminal space at O'Hare," Schwieterman said.