The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed a cap on daily flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to prevent delays and cancellations caused by overscheduling from American Airlines and United Airlines. The move follows a turf war between the carriers over gate access, leading to schedules exceeding the airport's runway capacity. Airlines must now reduce operations to no more than 2,800 per day.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on March 4, 2026, that it will cap total daily operations at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) at 2,800, down from peaks of 3,080 this summer. The decision aims to avoid severe delays, cancellations, and inconvenience to travelers, as schedules had exceeded the airport's runway capacity.
This situation stems from a long-standing competition between American Airlines and United Airlines, which dominate ORD. In 2018, airlines agreed to a use-it-or-lose-it gate allocation formula. After a COVID-era suspension, changes took effect in October 2025, resulting in American losing five gates to United. American is expected to regain up to three gates in 2026.
United CEO Scott Kirby stated in January 2026: "We're not going to allow them to win a single gate at our expense in 2026. We're going to add as many flights as are required to make sure that we keep our gate count the same in Chicago. We're just going to stay focused."
In response, American added three new routes from ORD, including to Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). United countered with five new routes and additional flights on 80 others.
American's chief operating officer David Seymour and chief commercial officer Nathaniel Pieper wrote in a memo to staff: "This is not meaningful growth — it is a ploy to overschedule the airport to manipulate a provision which was meant to promote competition, seemingly without regard for ORD customers, team members or partners. United's reactive overcapacity is meant to undermine ORD's status as a dual hub."
The dispute dates back to the 1980s, when U.S. airlines established hubs. Kirby has claimed American loses significant money at ORD, and United has run a publicity campaign in Chicago.
The FAA initiated a two-day scheduling meeting with airlines in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026, led by Administrator Bryan Bedford. Schedule reductions may involve cutting regional flights or consolidating frequencies onto larger aircraft, similar to measures at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2025.
In the second quarter of 2026, United holds 51% of ORD flights and American 37%, per Cirium data. For 2025, United's share was 48% and American's 37%. Analyst Tom Fitzgerald of TD Cowen expects airlines to optimize gate usage through regional capacity reductions.
