In 2008, the airport had 881,566 aircraft operations, an average of 2,409 per day (64% scheduled commercial, 33% air taxi, 3% general aviation and <1% military).[1] Prior to 2005, O'Hare was the world's busiest airport in terms of takeoffs and landings. Mainly due to limits imposed by the federal government to reduce flight delays at O'Hare,[3] Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport became the busiest by that metric in 2005. O'Hare currently accounts for over a sixth of the nation's total flight cancellations even after the limitations.[4] O'Hare International Airport is the third busiest airport in the world with 66,665,390 passengers passing through the airport in 2010, a +3.3% change from 2009.[5] It is the world's second busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements. O'Hare has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations. O'Hare is the fourth busiest international gateway in the United States with only John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport and Miami International Airport serving more international passengers.
O’Hare International Airport has been voted the "Best Airport in North America" for 10 years by two separate sources: Readers of the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine (1998–2003) and Global Traveler Magazine (2004–2007).[6] Travel and Leisure magazine's 2009 "America's Favorite Cities" ranked Chicago's Airport System (O'Hare and Midway) the second-worst for delays, New York City's airport system (JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia) being the first.[7]
Most of O'Hare Airport is in Cook County, but a section of the southwest part of the airport is in DuPage County.
Although O'Hare is Chicago's primary airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, the city's second busiest airport, is about 10 miles (16 km) closer to the Loop, the main business and financial district.
The airport is named after Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.
History
The airport was constructed in 1942–43 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square-foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small nearby farming community. Douglas Company's contract ended in 1945 and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas, the airport took the name Orchard Field Airport. In 1945, the facility was chosen by the city of Chicago, as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands.Matthew Laflin Rockwell, (1915–1988) was the director of planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and responsible for the site selection and design of O'Hare International Airport. He was the great grandson of Matthew Laflin, a founder and pioneer of Chicago. Though its familiar three-letter IATA code ORD still reflects the early identity of the airport, it was renamed in 1949, after Lieutenant Commander Edward "Butch" O'Hare, USN, a World War II flying ace, who was awarded the Medal of Honor.
See also: Illinois World War II Army Airfields
By the early 1950s, Chicago Midway International Airport, which had been the primary Chicago airport since 1931, had become too crowded despite multiple expansions and could not handle the planned first generation of jets. The city of Chicago and the FAA began to develop O'Hare as the main airport for Chicago's future. Commercial passenger flights started in 1955[8] and an international terminal was built in 1958; O'Hare's new terminal opened in 1962 and Midway had no airlines for a couple of years after that. The arrival of Midway's former traffic instantly made O'Hare the new World's Busiest Airport, serving 10 million passengers annually. Within two years that number would double, with more people passing through O'Hare in 12 months than Ellis Island had processed in its entire existence. In 1997 annual passenger volume reached 70 million. As of February 2010, United serves its flagship hub with an average of just under 200 daily departures, but the carrier's utilization of O'Hare peaked in 1994.[9]O'Hare Airport is municipally connected to the city of Chicago via a narrow strip of land about 200 feet (61 m) wide, running along Higgins Ave. (IL-72) from the Des Plaines River to the airport. This land was annexed into the city limits in the 1950s to assure the airport was contiguous with the city, to keep it under city control and for the massive tax revenue. The strip is bounded on the north by Rosemont and the south by Schiller Park.[10] The CTA Blue Line was extended to the airport in 1984.
United States Air Force use
The original Douglas Aircraft C-54 Skymaster transport manufacturing plant on the northeast side of the airport became a United States Air Force Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve facility after World War II. It was used by the USAF from 1947 until 1999.The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended the closure of O'Hare Air Reserve Station as proposed by the municipal government of the City of Chicago and the transfer of both the 126 ARW and 928 AW to new facilities to be constructed at Scott AFB, Illinois. The 126 ARW moved from the former O'Hare Air Reserve Station at O'Hare International Airport to Scott AFB, Illinois in 1999 as recommended by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's Report to Congress in conjunction with the closure of the Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard facilities at O'Hare.
Following the closure of the O'Hare Air Reserve Station, the former USAF facilities were redeveloped for air cargo and general aviation. Today, Signature Flight Support services private aircraft in this area.
Terminals
O'Hare has four operational passenger terminals: 1, 2, 3 and 5. Two or more additional terminal buildings are envisioned. There is the possibility of a large terminal complex for the west side of the field, with access from I-90 and/or the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, if the runway reconfiguration is completed and passenger numbers require additional terminals.United Airlines/United Express is the largest airline at O'Hare, carrying over 45% of passengers. American Airlines/American Eagle is the second largest carrying 37.08% of passengers.[11]
O'Hare has 182 aircraft gates throughout four Terminals (1, 2, 3, 5) and nine concourses (B, C, E, F, G, H, K, L, M).
Note: All international arrivals at O'Hare (except flights from destinations with border preclearance) are handled at Terminal 5.
- Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has 53 Gates on two concourses:
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- Concourse B, with 23 gates
- Concourse C, with 30 gates
United also operates four Red Carpet Clubs at O'Hare, three of which are in Terminal 1 (two in Concourse B, one in Concourse C). Also operated by United are a United First International Lounge and a United Arrivals Suite. They are both located in Concourse C.
Terminal 1 is unique at O'Hare in that the C concourse is an island. Passengers transit between the two concourses via a pedestrian tunnel under the tarmac and are treated to a neon light show and music while riding on moving walkways.
- Terminal 2
In November 2009, Delta Air Lines moved to Terminal 2 from its previous home at Terminal 3 to align its operations with Northwest Airlines. Continental Airlines has relocated its operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 as part of a merger with United Airlines.[12]
United Airlines runs a Red Carpet Club in Terminal 2, near gate F4A. Delta has a SkyClub on Concourse E.
Terminal 2 has 38 gates on two concourses:
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- Concourse E, with 16 gates
- Concourse F, with 22 gates
- Terminal 3
Terminal 3 has 80 Gates on four concourses:
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- Concourse G, with 26 gates
- Concourse H, with 21 gates
- Concourse K, with 22 gates
- Concourse L, with 11 gates
- Terminal 4 (defunct)
- Terminal 5 (International Terminal)
Terminal 5 has 21 Gates on one concourse:
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- Concourse M, with 21 gates
Facilities
Runways
With the opening of new runway 9L/27R in November 2008, there are now 7 primary air carrier runways, arranged tangentially in 3 parallel sets. The largest is Runway 10–28, 13,001′ x 150′. Runways 9L, 10, 14L, 14R, 27L, 27R and 28 have Category III instrument landing systems (ILS),[19] allowing trained aircrews to conduct landings with as little as 600 feet (180 m) of horizontal visibility. All other runway approaches except 4L have full Category I ILS. Due to its location and prevailing winds, runway 4L is seldom used for landings. Therefore, it is equipped with a localizer, the horizontal guidance component of an ILS system, but does not have a glideslope, the vertical component. Origninally, all runways at O'Hare intersected each other with the exception of 4R/22L. This creates problems in times of inclement weather, congestion at the airport, or high winds. There have been several aircraft near-collisions at O'Hare in recent years. The ongoing redevelopment, which essentially eliminates active runway intersections, is intended to alleviate collision hazards and delays at O'Hare. Three of the original 1943 airfield's four runways (14L/32R, 9R/27L, and 4L/22R) have been upgraded to modern standards. Runway 14R/32L was added in 1955, 9R/27L (now designated 10/28) in 1968, 4R/22L in 1971 and the new 9L/27R in 2008. In 2003, the fourth original runway (18/36) was permanently closed; its short length, lack of use, and problematic placement no longer justified continued certification. Runway 18/36 is now shown as taxiway WT on current airport charts. The ongoing redevelopment, when completed, will remove the 2 northwest–southeast runways (14/32 L/R), construct 4 additional east–west runways (10C/28C, 10R/28L, 9L/27R, and 9C/27C), and extend the 2 existing east–west runways (9R/27L and 10L/28R, shown on current charts as 10/28). The two existing northeast–southwest (4/22 L/R) runways will be retained. Currently, 1 of the 4 new runways has been constructed (9L/27R), and 1 of the 2 extensions (10/28) has been completed. The second new runway (10C/28C) is currently under construction. In the original airfield configuration, runway 32L was often used for departures in a shortened configuration. Planes accessed the runway from its intersection at taxiway T10 (common) or taxiway M (not common). This shortened the effective length of the runway but allowed operations on runway 10/28 to continue without restriction. The full length of the runway was available upon request, though with the extension of 10/28 it was usually not needed. As part of the ongoing reconfiguration, in May 2010 runway 14R/32L was permanently shortened to 9,685-foot (2,952 m), and it now starts at taxiway M. O'Hare has a voluntary nighttime (2200–0700) noise abatement program in place.[20] The runway reconfiguration program at O'Hare will also improve the airport for the A380 Super-Jumbo aircraft. As part of the runway reconfiguration program, on July 5, 2007, the runway previously designated 9R-27L became runway 10–28, and on August 30, 2007, runway 9L/27R became 9R/27L.[21] On September 25, 2008, a 2,857-foot (871 m) extension to 10/28 was opened.[22]Access to airport
Road vehicles enter and exit via I-190, which branches off I-90 (the Kennedy Expressway) leading to downtown Chicago. Cars may also access the airport locally from Mannheim Road, the airport's eastern boundary. Aside from cargo access on its south side, all airport traffic travels through the east side of the airport. Local residents sometimes refer to I-190 as "the world's busiest Cul-de-sac" as a result of the one way access.
Subway trains from the Blue Line of the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' depart the terminal from an underground station that opened on September 3, 1984 - Commuter trains from the Metra North Central Service stop at the O'Hare Transfer station, which is connected to the Airport Transit System via a shuttle bus.
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Intra-airport transportation
Access within the airport complex can be accomplished using O'Hare's Airport Transit System (ATS), a 2.5 mi (4 km) long automated people mover system that operates 24 hours a day, connecting all four terminals and the remote parking lots. The system began operation on May 6, 1993,[23] and will be soon undergoing a US $90 million enhancement to add 24 new cars and to extend the line to a new remote parking garage. -
Other facilities
A large air cargo complex on the southwest side of the field was opened in 1984, replacing most of the old cargo area, which stood where Terminal 5 now exists. This complex sits right in the middle of the footprint for new runway 10C/28C, and is to be replaced by a new facility. The hangar area has multiple buildings capable of fully enclosing aircraft up to the size of the Boeing 747. The new North Terminal Air Traffic Control Tower was designed by AECOM (design principal Jose Luis Palacios).Resistance and alternatives
The neighboring communities of Bensenville and Elk Grove Village have been centers of resistance to the expansion plan due to their proximity to the airport and because some of their residents and businesses will be required to relocate. Bensenville and Elk Grove Village formed the Suburban O'Hare Commission[29] to fight the expansion. So far, they have not had much success. The commission did receive a temporary injunction against portions of the city's expansion project; however, it was soon overturned. The Suburban O'Hare Commission has also been instrumental in pushing for a third regional airport in south suburban Peotone, which it claims would alleviate congestion at O'Hare. However, no airline has committed to the proposed airport, and planning efforts moved very slowly during 2007–08. In 2008 Elk Grove Village ended resistance. They received assurance that a proposed highway would not be built through their business park. In November 2009, Bensenville officially ended all resistance to the expansion, ceasing all legal challenges against the city of Chicago. They received 15 million dollars.[30] It should also be noted that the city of Chicago is facing an issue with a historical cemetery located in the space of their planned runway expansion. Up until recently, the city was removing graves. This stopped when a state court stepped in on behalf of the buried's kin. In 1995, the Chicago/Gary Airport Compact was signed by the cities of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, creating a new administration for the Gary/Chicago International Airport just across the state line. While markedly smaller than the proposed Peotone site, this airport already has more land and a longer main runway than Midway Airport. Gary is also many miles closer than Peotone to downtown Chicago. In addition public transportation is already in place to the Loop via the South Shore Line. Indiana and the FAA have provided significant funding for a Gary runway expansion, currently under construction. Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Rockford, Illinois has also marketed itself as an alternative for congestion at O'Hare. However, it is at least a 1-1/2 hour trip to Rockford from the Chicago Loop. Currently there is no direct transportation service from downtown Chicago or O'Hare to the Chicago Rockford International Airport, but airline service at the airport continues to grow. Larry Morrissey, the current mayor of Rockford, has pushed for a high-speed rail connection between the two airports to make the Rockford airport a more convenient alternative to O'Hare. General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee has consistently attempted to increase its usage by Chicago and Northern Illinois customers. There is a direct Amtrak rail service connecting Chicago with Mitchell Airport. The trains operate seven round trips each day, taking under 75 minutes from the Chicago loop.
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