FAA Clamps Down on Airline Turf War at Chicago O'Hare With Summer Flight Cap

Source: US News & World Report/Reuters

April 16, 2026, at 4:51 p.m.


CHICAGO, April 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation ⁠Administration ⁠on Thursday capped summer flights at ⁠Chicago O'Hare, stepping into an escalating battle between United Airlines and American Airlines ​after a surge in schedules threatened to overwhelm the airport.

The agency will limit O'Hare to 2,708 arrivals and departures a ‌day from May 17 through October ‌24, forcing carriers to scale back plans and effectively holding operations near last year's levels to avoid a ⁠repeat of ⁠widespread delays. The move draws a regulatory line under a capacity race between the ​two carriers at one of the country's most important hubs, underscoring the limits of growth at airports facing infrastructure constraints.

COMPETITION CHECKED

The FAA said O'Hare's overscheduling reflected competitive scheduling dynamics between the airport's two largest carriers and rejected calls to use newer ​summer 2026 schedules as the baseline, saying that could encourage airlines to file unrealistic schedules to improve ⁠their ⁠negotiating posture. United and American have ⁠both been expanding ​in Chicago, as they compete for market share at one of the country's most important hubs.

Published schedules ​for peak summer 2026 days had ⁠climbed above 3,080 daily operations — nearly 15% higher than a year earlier — even as construction and other constraints persist, the FAA said. Last summer's performance showed the risks. Only about 56% of departures and 58% of arrivals operated on time as congestion and construction slowed traffic.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-04-16/faa-will-cap-flights-at-chicago-ohare-to-curb-summer-delays