Aviation officials want much deeper cuts to flight capacity at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport than earlier announced.
The Federal Aviation Administration last month indicated a plan to cap flights this summer.
It wanted to cut the average 3,080 daily flights airlines had scheduled this summer by about 10%.
The FAA now wants more serious capacity limits – with daily takeoffs and landings of no more than about 2,608.
The agency says the airport is already running close to capacity, with nearly 2,800 daily flights.
Adding more during peak summer months would result in ‘inevitable delay and operational disruption’.
The FAA has said it will communicate directly with airlines this week to identify which flights will be reduced.
It will mostly impact United Airlines and American Airlines which are fighting for dominance at O’Hare.
Spirit Airlines recently announced it will scrap all its flights at Chicago O’Hare by the summer and instead focus on its existing scheduled services at Chicago Midway Airport.
