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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.

J.D. Power's latest customer satisfaction survey

United CEO wants 1,000 daily flights from O'Hare

Scott Kirby spoke about his vision for the future of Chicago air travel on a recent podcast.

Illustration of a plane with contrails forming an upwards trend line.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wants the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="airline&#x27;s home base" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/04/16/united-airlines-ohare-billboards-southwest-earnings" data-vars-content-id="183d1cba-e0ba-48f0-b210-980963d6c33d" data-vars-headline="United CEO wants 1,000 daily flights from O&#x27;Hare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/04/16/united-airlines-ohare-billboards-southwest-earnings" target="_self">airline&#x27;s home base</a> to be the best in the world.The latest: In a new interview with the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Office Hours: Business Edition&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://haslam.utk.edu/office-hours/" data-vars-content-id="183d1cba-e0ba-48f0-b210-980963d6c33d" data-vars-headline="United CEO wants 1,000 daily flights from O&#x27;Hare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://haslam.utk.edu/office-hours/" target="_blank">&quot;Office Hours: Business Edition&quot;</a> podcast, Kirby lays out an ambitious vision: Make O&#x27;Hare the world&#x27;s No. 1 airport.

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The White Sox achieved an improbable turnaround and are heading to the playoffs.

The latest: The Sox punched their ticket to at least a Wild Card berth with a 9-1 Thursday win over the Royals.

Why it matters: The Sox are returning to the postseason for the first time since 2021 — and just the fourth since winning the 2005 World Series.

Zoom in: The Sox endured three straight 100-loss seasons before 2026. Still rebuilding, their young core surprised baseball and spent much of the season atop the AL Central.

They've faltered down the stretch, surrendering the division lead to the Guardians.

Yes, but: There's still a chance to get it back, with a few games remaining and the Sox owning the season tiebreaker.

The intrigue: Chicago winning the AL Central would secure it the No. 2 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the best-of-five AL Division Series.

If the Sox remain a Wild Card team, they'll open the playoffs on the road. The postseason begins Tuesday.

By the numbers: Chicago's stunning turnaround has been powered by their young bats. They're the only team in baseball with three 30-home-run hitters this season: Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery.

It's only the fourth time in franchise history with three 30-homer hitters, joining the 2004, 2006 and 2008 teams.

The pitching staff — most notably Sean Burke, Davis Martin and rookie Hagen Smith — has also outperformed preseason expectations.

Wild stat: No bullpen in baseball has worked harder. Sox relievers have thrown an MLB-high in innings with over 730, about 35 more than the next-closest team, while still posting a top-10 ERA.

What's next: The Sox finish the regular season with three crucial games at home against the lowly Rockies, while the Guardians head to Kansas City.

The bottom line: South Side, stand up. The White Sox are back in the playoffs.

White Sox clinch first playoff berth since 2021

The team could still win the AL Central this weekend.

Night baseball game with fireworks over the stadium. Players on the field beneath bright floodlights; colorfully lit circular decorations on the stands and banners reading Sox Win and Binny's.

A general view of fireworks at Rate Field after a win earlier this season. Photo: Jayden Mack/Getty Images

The White Sox achieved an improbable turnaround and are heading to the playoffs.The latest: The Sox punched their ticket to at least a Wild Card berth with a 9-1 Thursday win over the Royals.

Sports

The White Sox wasted little time punching their ticket to the divisional round with back-to-back wins over the Houston Astros, while the Cubs' season sputtered to an end with a quick exit in San Diego.

Why it matters: Dreams of a crosstown World Series are dashed.

The big picture: For the White Sox, they flat-out dominated the Astros, leading in all 18 innings of the series.

Manager Will Venable masterfully worked the bullpen — and on-again, off-again starter Eric Fedde — to shut down the AL West champs.

Chase Meidroth played hero with a clutch three-run homer in the sixth inning to seal the win for the South Siders.

Zoom in: The Sox are on a historic run after losing 100 games each of the three previous seasons. 

By the numbers: The Sox waited 21 years between playoff series wins. Their last one came against these same Astros, when they swept Houston to win the 2005 World Series. 

Since that championship, the Sox have made the playoffs just three times (2008, 2020 and 2021), losing their opening series each time.

What's next: The Sox head to Cleveland for Game 1 of the best-of-five ALDS on Saturday. They'll play at least one game at Rate Field on Wednesday.

Crowd of spectators behind protective netting at a baseball stadium; a man in a light-blue cap with a red-and-white circular logo and blue-striped shirt sits near others.

Bill Murray looks on during the seventh inning last night in the Cub's loss to the San Diego Padres. Photo:  Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing end for the Cubs, whose bats went ice cold at the worst possible moment in back-to-back losses to the Padres in San Diego.

They lost last night 4-1 and were outscored 12-1 in the series.

State of play: The Cubs struggled down the stretch and surrendered their home-field advantage in the Wild Card round, ultimately leaving Wrigley Field without playoff baseball.

Zoom out: The loss leaves a sour taste after last year's playoff run, with Cubs fans hoping offseason moves and an MVP-caliber season from Pete Crow-Armstrong would propel them deeper into the postseason. 

The bottom line: October belongs to the South Side now.

White Sox advance in MLB playoffs as Cubs are eliminated

Dreams of a crosstown World Series have been dashed.

An indoor party with a crowd cheering as foam sprays from red bottles; people in black shirts and neon headbands raise drinks amid a chaotic, festive scene.

Randal Grichuk celebrates with teammates after the White Sox defeated the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Photo: Connor Jalbert/MLB Photos via Getty Images

The White Sox wasted little time punching their ticket to the divisional round with back-to-back wins over the Houston Astros, while the Cubs&#x27; season sputtered to an end with a quick exit in San Diego.Why it matters: Dreams of a crosstown World Series are dashed.

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and today we are going to challenge your knowledge of them. 

State of play: I'll give you a city landmark and you tell me which 'hood it resides in. Super easy, right? Or is it? 

Chicago neighborhood quiz: Can you identify these famous landmarks?

Can you nab a perfect score on Chicago neighborhoods?

Bronze statue of a man holding a hat on a tall stone pedestal with a plaque in a park surrounded by green trees and parked cars in the background.

Statue of former Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison in Union Park. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios 

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and today we are going to challenge your knowledge of them.

History

Culture

Neighborhoods

Chicago-based financial services firm Morningstar is moving its global headquarters to the redeveloped Thompson Center, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move keeps one of Chicago's largest homegrown companies — and more than 1,500 employees — in the Loop while giving the Thompson Center redevelopment another major corporate anchor, in addition to Google. 

The latest: Morningstar plans to occupy more than 275,000 square feet in the former state government building, with the move expected in late 2028.

The company currently has its headquarters at 22 W. Washington St., across from the Daley Center.

It employs roughly 11,000 people worldwide.

What they're saying: "As long-term investors, we believe in backing people and communities with enduring potential," Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor said. "Our new headquarters and community commitment reflect our confidence in Chicago, our people, and the opportunities ahead."

Zoom in: Morningstar is pairing the move with a new $5 million, five-year "Commitment to Chicago" beginning in 2027.

$1 million will go to the Commercial Club Foundation to support a multi-year economic growth plan.

$4 million will fund grants to Chicago nonprofits focused on helping Chicagoans build pathways into financial services, technology and related careers.

Context: Morningstar was founded in Chicago by businessman and philanthropist Joe Mansueto in 1984 with an initial investment of $80,000.

The company went public in 2005, and Mansueto stepped down as CEO in 2017.

Zoom out: Mansueto has remained a major investor in Chicago. He owns the Chicago Fire, which is building a new South Loop stadium, and purchased the Wrigley Building in 2018.

The University of Chicago's Mansueto Library is named for Mansueto and his wife, Rika, following their $25 million gift to the university.

Flashback: Google announced plans in 2022 to buy the Thompson Center for $105 million as part of its expansion in Chicago.

They recently unveiled new renderings of the Thompson Center's interior, showcasing a design meant to entice downtown workers to meet, work and linger in the building's massive atrium.

"Morningstar's decision to relocate its global headquarters to the
Thompson Center reaffirms its longstanding commitment to our city and its continued confidence in our central business district and the future of the LaSalle Street corridor," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a release. 

The bottom line: More than four decades after its founding here, Morningstar is making another long-term bet on downtown Chicago.

Exclusive: Morningstar will join Google at Chicago's Thompson Center

The financial firm will co-anchor the newly renovated building on Randolph Street.

Urban storefront with a leafy tree in front, glass panels above, and a beige wall reading "MORNINGSTAR"; pedestrians walk by as a blue bicycle leans by a lamppost.

Morningstar headquarters on Washington Street. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images


Chicago-based financial services firm Morningstar is moving its global headquarters to the redeveloped <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Thompson Center" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/12/13/thompson-center-renovation-renderings-google" data-vars-content-id="e3e9bc1e-3c37-4154-863d-84ca5bc71d5b" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Morningstar will join Google at Chicago&#x27;s Thompson Center" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/12/13/thompson-center-renovation-renderings-google" target="_self">Thompson Center</a>, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The move keeps one of Chicago&#x27;s largest homegrown companies — and more than 1,500 employees — in the Loop while giving the Thompson Center redevelopment another major corporate anchor, in addition to Google.

Justin Kaufmann

Featured stories

White Sox advance in MLB playoffs as Cubs are eliminated

Exclusive: Morningstar will join Google at Chicago's Thompson Center

United CEO wants 1,000 daily flights from O'Hare

Chicago neighborhood quiz: Can you identify these famous landmarks?

White Sox clinch first playoff berth since 2021