The FAA wants to cut flights at Chicago's O'Hare. What it means
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will resume a meeting March 19 to discuss flight reductions at Chicago O'Hare Airport this summer.
The announcement comes amid a funding lapse for departments like the Transportation Security Agency, which has extended wait times at airports across the country.
An American Airlines sits at a gate of Chicago O'Hare International Airport in the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP via Getty Images)
Here's what we know about potential future changes in Chicago.
Why is the FAA discussing flight reductions at O'Hare?
The FAA is set to discuss potential flight restrictions during peak hours of operation this summer to reduce overscheduling and flight delays.
The administration said it and the Department of Transportation determined that planned schedule increases in the summer of 2026, along with long-term construction projects, would exceed the airport's capacity and "impact operations to varying degrees."
According to the FAA, the summer 2025 schedule peaked at 2,680 flights per day, with an average on-time performance rate of approximately 75%.
Now, airlines are releasing plans to increase daily operations at O'Hare to 3,080 this summer in a move that the FAA says would worsen an "already congested schedule."
"After reviewing ORD’s performance throughout the Summer 2025 scheduling season ... the FAA findsthat an increase of 400 operations would stress the runway, terminal and air traffic control systems at the airport," the administration said.
How many flights is the FAA considering cutting at O'Hare?
The FAA is proposing cutting the currently scheduled 3,080 daily operations on peak days to just 2,800.
The administration says these cuts would "prevent large-scale operational disruption while alsoallowing air carriers to operate within the airport’s demonstrated manageable capacity."
When would flight reductions take effect?
The proposed flight cuts would impact the 2026 summer scheduling season between March 29 and Oct. 24.
How has Chicago responded?
The city of Chicago labeled the plans "regressive" in a filing last week with the FAA, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The city disputed claims that construction and increased operations would disrupt the National Airway System, saying FAA officials proposed cuts below the status quo to just 2,400.
The city also asked the FAA to support its preferred construction plan for O'Hare, the Tribune reported.
How are flight delays, cancellations looking at O'Hare?
Flights coming in and out of O'Hare were experiencing an average delay of 21 minutes, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to real-time information published by the airport.
In the last 24 hours, 501 flights were delayed at least 15 minutes, and 93 were canceled.
