FAA reducing scheduled flights at Chicago's O'Hare airport for concerns over safety, cancellations

CHICAGO -- The FAA is officially reducing the number of flights expected to take off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport this summer.

The number of cuts to flights at O'Hare amounts to hundreds fewer flights than the number expected to go into effect next month. With short notice, experts say the challenge ahead for airlines will be keeping their passengers happy.

O'Hare initially had set a number of more than 3,080 daily flights during the summer. That would have been a 14.9% increase over last year.

On Thursday, the FAA announced it would limit flights to 2,708 a day.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the move is due to safety concerns and the potential for higher delay and cancellation rates.

Now, travelers going through O'Hare International Airport this summer might have to reroute their plans after the Department of Transportation announced it would be capping the number of flights during the peak summer travel season.

"I have no idea how decreasing the number of flights is going to decrease congestion," air traveler Hannibal Brooks said. "One of the best things about O'Hare is that if you miss a flight, there's so many other flight options for you to catch up, so the fact that they're eliminating, that is just nonsensical."

Transportation experts say this helps to settle the turf wars between American Airlines and United Airlines, a key reason aviation regulators had to step in.

"We're going to see, I think, a lot of fancy footwork by the airlines to keep their customers satisfied that they are not in effect being left to deal with massive schedule changes. It's going to be a tough proposition," DePaul University Transportation Professor Joe Schwieterman said. "American and United are in a rivalry situation where they're trying to outdo each other, you might say, and everybody knows that there's not enough air traffic controllers -- even perhaps gate shortages -- this summer to handle all those flights."

The Department of Transportation says last summer about 60% of flights at O'Hare were on time. The hope is that cutting down flight quantity will improve flight quality, but experts add that this could also mean increased flight costs at a time when confidence in air travel is on shaky ground.

"I feel like catching a flight right now is hard enough; to reduce the number is going to make it harder," air traveler Eric Danyus said. "I think with the long lines that we're experiencing because of government shutdowns, and everybody is already on edge, so this just might add a little more fuel to that fire."

The new limits on flights will run from May 17 to October 24.

United Airlines issued a statement, saying, "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. We are reviewing the FAA order and will share additional information, including any next steps, as soon as our review is complete."

American Airlines issued a statement, saying "American is committed to investing in and ensuring the best possible experience for our customers in Chicago and across our entire network. We are grateful to Secretary Duffy, Administrator Bedford, and their leadership teams for acting swiftly to ensure that Chicagoans and all consumers continue to benefit from sensible competition and to help minimize flight disruptions during the busy summer season. 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. 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. American has deep roots in Chicago dating back to our first flight 100 years ago, and our commitment to the Windy City is unwavering. We look forward to serving Chicago for another 100 years and meeting the needs of our customers at O'Hare this summer."