Overview
- Airlines filed peak-day schedules topping 3,080 operations, up from about 2,680 last summer, which the FAA says would strain runways, terminals, and air traffic control.
- The proposed cap would keep activity near current levels of roughly 2,800 daily operations, reflecting about 100 hourly arrivals and 100 departures.
- The summer scheduling season runs March 29 through October 25, and the FAA plans to review each 30‑minute period between 06:00 and 21:59 local time with carriers.
- United has outlined about 780 daily flights from O'Hare this month, while American plans to reach roughly 500 daily departures in March, contributing to the surge.
- Administrator Bryan Bedford flagged Newark’s 2025 schedule cuts as precedent and warned that additional flying could undermine reliable operations at O'Hare.