United CEO wants 1,000 daily flights from O'Hare
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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wants the airline's home base to be the best in the world.
The latest: In a new interview with the "Office Hours: Business Edition" podcast, Kirby lays out an ambitious vision: Make O'Hare the world's No. 1 airport.
Why it matters: Kirby's vision could supercharge Chicago's status as a global aviation hub — or put even more pressure on an air traffic control system already struggling to keep up.
What he's saying: "I have a vision ... not just for United, but for the city of Chicago ... we'll be a thousand flights a day in Chicago, we'll have another 15 international destinations," Kirby said on the show.
- "Our airplanes, by the way, will have, on average, probably 20% more seats per departure. So ... it'll be the No. 1 airport in the world. And I think that vision is going to become reality."
Context: Kirby has reason for optimism. O'Hare is in the middle of a years-long expansion project designed to add terminal capacity and gates.
- United currently operates roughly 650 daily departures from O'Hare. Kirby's vision would push that to 1,000.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson has also repeatedly touted O'Hare's growth and his desire for the airport to reclaim its title as the world's busiest in terms of passengers.
Reality check: O'Hare may be built for connections, but the passenger experience hasn't kept pace.
- O'Hare is the most connected airport in the U.S. and the fifth-most connected international hub in the world, according to OAG's new 2026 rankings.
- But O'Hare tied for last among the 20 mega airports in J.D. Power's latest customer satisfaction survey.
- Nearly 11% of O'Hare flights were delayed by at least an hour in 2025, according to an AirAdvisor analysis — one of the highest rates among major U.S. airports.
State of play: Major airlines want room to grow, but the FAA is moving in the opposite direction.
- Federal regulators have capped scheduled operations at O'Hare amid air traffic control and operational constraints. In July, the FAA extended those limits through October 2027, saying they were necessary to prevent widespread delays.
- The restrictions have drawn pushback from Illinois officials and the airlines.
Bottom line: Kirby is dreaming about O'Hare's next 350 flights a day while the FAA is trying to manage the ones it already has.