FAA has a plan to reduce ‘overscheduling’ at Chicago’s busy O’Hare airport this summer

CHICAGO — The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to limit the number of flights this summer at one of the busiest airports in the United States with the goal to reduce overscheduling and flight delays. 

The FAA issued a notice on Feb. 27 about a meeting planned in early March to discuss limiting the flight schedules this summer at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. 

The agency said its overall goal is to minimize preventable travel disruptions during the 2026 summer season, which begins March 29 and ends Oct. 25, by limiting the number of flights during peak operations. 

Roughly 3,080 daily operations on peak days are currently scheduled for the 2026 summer season, which is up from 2,680 in 2025, according to the agency. The FAA calls the proposed increase “significant” and said it would “stress the runway, terminal, and air traffic control systems at the airport.” 

The FAA wants to reduce the total daily operations to 2,800, which it claims is a more manageable plan, “given the current infrastructure and staffing resources available.” 

The FAA also said planned construction at the airport factored into their proposal to reduce the number of flights this summer. A multibillion-dollar construction project that includes the largest terminal expansion in the airport’s history is currently underway and is estimated to be completed by late 2028. 

O’Hare ranked as the busiest airfield in the U.S., with 857,392 takeoffs and landings in 2025, according to preliminary data released in January by the FAA.

O’Hare is the hub airport for United Airlines and American Airlines.