FAA Orders O'Hare Flight Cut

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered Chicago O’Hare to cap summer flights at 2,708 a day after airlines scheduled more than 3,080 on peak days. (faa.gov) The limit takes effect May 17, 2026, and runs through October 24, 2026, covering the core of the summer travel season. The agency said O’Hare handled less than 60% of arrivals and departures on time last summer. (faa.gov) In its order, the FAA said the cap is based on Summer 2025 approved schedules and is meant to keep 2026 delays from getting worse than last year’s. The formal order was published in the Federal Register for April 20, 2026. (federalregister.gov) O’Hare is not a fully slotted airport like John F. Kennedy in New York. It operates as an International Air Transport Association Level 2 airport, which means airlines submit schedules for review and the Federal Aviation Administration relies on schedule facilitation rather than hard slot controls in normal periods. (faa.gov) That changed after the agency said late-published, unapproved schedules would push O’Hare beyond what the airfield could handle in Summer 2026. The order cites airport construction and competitive scheduling by the airport’s two largest carriers as the main pressures behind the cut. (federalregister.gov) The FAA said controllers are also working around constrained gate capacity and taxiway closures tied to construction. Fewer scheduled takeoffs and landings are intended to reduce backups on the ground before they spread through the national airspace system. (faa.gov) The process started with a March 4 scheduling reduction meeting after the FAA issued a notice on February 27 and asked carriers to file written views by March 11. The final order says those meetings were held under federal authority for delay reduction at overscheduled airports. (faa.gov) Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration used the same basic playbook at Newark Liberty International Airport, where the government also cut schedules after persistent delays. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the goal at O’Hare is to match airline timetables to what the airport can safely handle. (faa.gov) For travelers, the immediate change is simple: airlines now have less room to schedule O’Hare flights on the busiest summer days. The FAA says that smaller timetable is supposed to produce fewer delays and cancellations than a larger schedule the airport cannot absorb. (faa.gov)