U.S. May Limit Flights at O'Hare, Official Says


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. aviation regulators threatened on Wednesday to cap commercial flights into and out of Chicago's O'Hare airport to reduce unprecedented delays that are causing congestion throughout the country's aviation system.


The administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites), Marion Blakey, said the agency would take the unusual step unilaterally if airlines could not agree to cut their schedules further voluntarily.


Blakey's remarks came at a meeting with representatives of U.S. airlines, including AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines to discuss schedule cuts at O'Hare.


Chicago is the nation's prime connecting hub and a major center for international travel. Delays at the airport, many of which are caused by bad weather, ripple through the aviation system and cause backups at other airports.


With airline traffic returning to pre-Sept. 11, 2001 levels, operations at O'Hare are running about 170 flights a day above last year, when delays were not a problem.


There were nearly 59,000 delays at O'Hare this year through June. A flight is considered delayed when it is at least 15 minutes late.


Two previous schedule cuts in March and June totaling more than 7 percent of peak-hour flights by United and American, which together control more than 80 percent of traffic at O'Hare, have not worked as intended.


Regulators initially had sought more from No. 1 American and No. 2 United than they got and are unhappy with other airlines that eroded the impact of the cuts by filling the openings with their own flights.


These include Continental Airlines Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and fledgling Independence Air, a unit of FLYi Inc. and a former United regional affiliate that began flying on its own this summer out of Washington's Dulles airport. FLYi is the new name, effective Aug. 4, for Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings Inc.

The cutbacks by American and United were all cancelled out by other carriers adding flights (including brand new carriers).

This is one consequence of airline deregulation. When you leave it to the airlines to sort this stuff out, most just follow their own self-interest.

The full-service carriers want to offer as many departures as possible to offer choice and convenience to passengers. If one carrier does it, then they all have to do it or risk losing business to the competition. Nevermind that a lot of these planes are virtually empty.

Even when the planes are fuller, the trend is shifting toward smaller planes. Smaller planes mean 3 planes to move the same number of people that 2 planes might have been able to move before. Thus, more takeoffs and landings.

Whether Daley likes it or not, they really ought to start pushing the airlines to use the Gary airport more. Significant cutbacks on departures and landings would be one way to do this.

While this is an annoying problem to the traveling public, I must say that it makes me proud on some level :) The problem is essentially "Chicago is getting so busy that it's slowing down the rest of the nation." And if you ask me, there's nothing wrong with that :)

Looks like that third airport in Peotone could become a reality.

Looks like that third airport in Peotone could become a reality.

Investing money in Gary Airport would be a better alternative, IMO.

peotone is in bumble&$)*, What's great about O'hare and Midway is they are easily accessible to Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Peotone is way out of the freakin way. In Chicago its all about access and proximity for its citizens and visitors, Peotone is none of that.

Well, the only leg-up that Gary has in that regard is Metra. But, it's still not easy to get to.

^That would no doubt change with expansion of that airport with more frequent rail service or a new el line.

My 2 cents:

I can't wait to see the suburbs around O'hare come crumbling down under the bulldozer as O'hare expands and modernizes.

As Peotone becomes more of a reality, Chicago's mayor should swallow his pride and jump on the bandwagon--support the friggin' thing, try to get a train connection to it, etc.

I agree with you guys--stop dissing Gary Airport! What's with dissing Gary? The infrastructure (metra) is already there. Plus it would help the south side and south suburbs, etc.

BTW, what about expanding on Midway a bit? There seems to be some land west of the airport, are there any possibilities there?

All in all, I realize that O'hare is a huge money machine for the city and that expanding it would be great, but for the sake of the region more volume can be handled if O'hare is allowed to be "decompressed". Who cares about trying to keep a record of "busiest airport in the country"? I think it would be practical to simultaneously use and build other airports and become the "busiest metro in the country" with the greatest number of flights flying through various airports.

I think the city should smarten up and embrace Gary, Peotone, along with pushing to expand O'hare--all for the sake of maintaining its status as the nation's transport hub

Chicago Tribune

FAA preps O'Hare for growth
Building, airspace limits set with eye to expansion

By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune transportation reporter
Published August 10, 2004

The Federal Aviation Administration is prohibiting construction near O'Hare International Airport or changes in air-traffic patterns at regional airports that would interfere with an expanded O'Hare, officials said Monday.

Chicago officials welcomed the developments, while the FAA cautioned the action does not indicate whether the agency will approve the expansion plan when it issues a decision expected late next year.

The FAA review studied how O'Hare's expansion would affect existing or planned traffic at neighboring airports and the surrounding airspace. It also looked at the city's proposed airport layout on the safety of people and property on the ground near the airport.

"The review protects the airspace around O'Hare until a determination on the project is completed," said Barry Cooper, manager of the FAA's Chicago Area Modernization Program Office.

Chicago aviation officials nonetheless hailed the FAA analysis as validation of their eight-runway O'Hare redesign and as a key step toward approval to start pouring concrete on the almost-$15 billion expansion project.

"What the letter from the FAA signals for the first time is that we have a project that is potentially going to be developed," said Rosemarie Andolino, city director of the O'Hare expansion project. "It's important. The FAA is protecting the airspace and controlling what can be built around the airport."

FAA officials also said their analysis was not designed to address whether the proposed O'Hare modernization would produce enough capacity and efficiencies to increase flights and reduce delays to levels claimed by the Daley administration.

Airline over-scheduling at O'Hare has caused delays to hit record highs this year, causing on-time performance to plummet at airports across the nation. Negotiations between the FAA and 16 airlines to reduce O'Hare flights as a short-term solution entered a second week Monday, but no substantive progress was reported.

Chicago aviation officials say flight capacity would increase to 1.6 million takeoffs and landings a year at an expanded O'Hare, up from about 975,000 flights expected this year, and delays would be cut 79 percent overall and 95 percent in poor weather.

Project critics, who contend adding runways won't solve O'Hare gridlock, said they want to see the results of pending FAA studies.

The FAA decision will remain valid until Jan. 31, 2006, the agency said. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has voiced support for O'Hare expansion and planned construction of a third regional airport. The FAA review also took into consideration airspace requirements for the proposed south suburban airport near Peotone, said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.

Part of the FAA's review is focused on how well the reconfigured airfield would operate in regard to delays at specific flight volumes and weather conditions. Computer simulations for the FAA concentrate on various stages of the expansion project--2007, 2009, 2013, and when the airfield is fully rebuilt in 2018 under the city's construction timetable.

Earlier computer modeling conducted for the city showed unacceptably long delays in certain conditions well before flight levels reached 1.3 million, sparking questions about the benefits of the project in light of the high costs.

Former FAA officials hired by Bensenville and Elk Grove Village to challenge O'Hare expansion said more studies will confirm the city's plan doesn't add up.

"The FAA is saying planes would be able to fly into and out of an expanded O'Hare safely. But no one has shown that O'Hare could handle the 1.6 million flights claimed by Chicago, what the level of delays would be and how they are going to deal with the limitations imposed by congested airspace," said J.E. Murdock, a Washington-based aviation consultant working for the two northwest suburbs.

My god... $15 billion!?!?!?!

MAKE NO SMALL PLANS, THEY HAVE NO MAGIC TO STIR MEN'S BLOOD.
MAKE BIG PLANS.

I think not many people realize how important O'Hare is to the city. I know a manager that works for United and he told me that Chicago with a stagnating O'Hare is like St. Louis. The city is very well dependent on this airport.

O'hare didn't even exist before the 1950's.

Chicago was a very dominant city before then as well.

Also, Chicago relies on being a transport hub to be successful. This may include flights through midway, gary, etc. O'hare is by all means not the only savior of this city!!!!

Can't say I agree, dancethingy.

FAA proposes extending O'Hare flight reductions by 3 years
23 March 2005

CHICAGO (AP) - Federal officials want to limit the number of flights coming into O'Hare International Airport for three more years to help reduce delays that can affect flights around the country.

Since November, airlines at O'Hare -- the nation's busiest airport based on total flights -- have voluntarily reduced flights to 88 an hour between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., down from a maximum of more than 130 an hour. That agreement, which was to expire April 30, has already been extended through October.

On Tuesday, the FAA proposed a federal rule that would extend the flight limits until April 2008, when O'Hare might be able to handle more flights, the FAA said.

"While we are working hard to add capacity throughout the system, we need to make sure in the interim that O'Hare schedules don't exceed what the airport can handle," FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said in a statement.

The FAA is expected to decide in September whether to approve a proposed $15 billion expansion of O'Hare that would add two new runways and reconfigure others. If the plan is approved, a new runway could be finished by late 2007, allowing more flight arrivals, FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said.

If the FAA rejects O'Hare's expansion plan, a three-year reduction in flights would give the agency more than two years to figure out other ways to add capacity at the congestion-prone airport, Molinaro said.

Since the voluntary flight reductions took effect, on-time arrivals at O'Hare have improved by 17 percent and overall delay minutes have been cut 22 percent, the FAA said.

The FAA said keeping the flight limits in place three more years would cut delays at O'Hare 42 percent. The agency would review delay information every six months to see if the airport could handle more flights.

Representatives of the airport's two busiest carriers -- UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines -- objected Tuesday to part of the rule that would give new or small carriers the first chance to add flights if O'Hare's capacity increases over the three years.

"We have stepped up to help out, so we feel we should be the first to be made whole when there is new capacity available," United spokesman Jeff Green said.

American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said the carrier has voluntarily reduced its flights into O'Hare by more than 13 percent since November. She said American and United should be the first to take advantage of extra capacity.

Airlines and others will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule to extend the flight reductions before the FAA makes a decision, Molinaro said.

Gary is better than Peotone for airport. Peotone is like 40 miles away from the loop, while Gary is just 29 miles and those 29 miles isnt farmland.

Making an airport in Gary might help with its economy.

Every time I hear about O'Hare expansion I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

It sounds good in theory but then again so does highway widening. Traffic's too heavy, widen the highway to lessen it. Traffic gets heavier because it's easier to drive, widen the highway to lessen it. Traffic gets heavier, widen again. Why do I feel like now we're doing it to O'Hare?

I agree with UP. Utilize our other airports to their full potential before you go start a 15 billion dollar expansion.

^The O'hare "expansion" project primarily consists of runway realignment. That's basically like adding turn lanes to a 2 or 4 lane road without them. It improves both safety and efficiency by reducing backoffs from takeoffs and landings. O'hare's runway layout has been known to be an achilles' heel for that airport for at LEAST 2 decades if not more. The trend of parallel runway layouts for hubs started with Atlanta back in the late 70's, and every major new airport built all over the world, especially those in Asia, have copied this layout. Doing the same, O'hare can maximize it's current capacity potential.

After this expansion, O'hare is done... Daley is actually for expaning Gary into another secondary domestic hub, it's the cronies down in Springfield that want Peotone to be built and nothing else at the expense of unnecessary tax dollars from Chicagoland.

But Peotone could be one of Chicago's frontier, when they build an airport there, maybe people would like to move there, and the urban sprawl could reached there instead of what today is kind of like rural farmland.

But Peotone could be one of Chicago's frontier, when they build an airport there, maybe people would like to move there, and the urban sprawl could reached there instead of what today is kind of like rural farmland.

Hooray, more sprawl! :|

Gary is better than Peotone for airport. Peotone is like 40 miles away from the loop, while Gary is just 29 miles and those 29 miles isnt farmland.

Making an airport in Gary might help with its economy.

Exactly,

It is Gary Chicago International Airport. The writing on the wall of what is to happen is in the name. It is only 1.5 miles away from the South Shore. And it is expanding already. here is the link and a news story from the web-page.

http://www.garychicagoairport.com/default.asp

By Ruthann Robinson
NWI Times


The Gary/Chicago International Airport cleared a major hurdle to becoming the third major airport in the area Thursday with the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of expansion plans.

The airport can now begin to relocate the EJ&E Railroad and acquire land to lengthen the main runway, according to a press release from the FAA.

It also will continue environmental mitigation in areas affecting wetlands and hazardous waste.

The Airport Master Plan and Environmental Impact Statement disclosure documents have been under review by the FAA since 2002. The airport now can compete for the FAA pool of money to complete the project.

Airport Director Paul Karas said the airport already has begun to receive money for the work and he anticipates additional federal and state support.

Gary Mayor Scott King lauded the FAA's decision.

"The FAA approval means that based on their review we have a sound plan in the areas of the environment, capacity needs, practicality of expanding the airport and other key issues," King said. "We can move forward with the targeted Gary/Chicago Airport expansion and economic development in south Chicagoland."

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., said the airport expansion is important to Northwest Indiana job growth.

"The Gary/Chicago Airport is a key component to economic opportunities in Northwest Indiana, and today's announcement is great news," Visclosky said. "Our region's long-term economic vitality needs economic engines to propel it forward, and the Gary/Chicago Airport is just that."

U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, D-Ind., agreed.

"This is the green light we've been waiting for and I look forward to continuing to work with Sen. (Richard) Lugar, Congressman Visclosky and Gary/Chicago Airport officials to accomplish the goals outlined in the airport's master plan."


Story posted: Friday, March 18, 2005



Recent Features:
FAA decision gives airport expansion plans the green light - 3/18/05
FAA APPROVES GARY/CHICAGO AIRPORT GROWTH PLAN - 3/17/05
FAA Issues Record of Decision Approving Gary Airport Enhancements - 3/17/05
Become one of the Gary/Chicago airport's friends - 3/13/05

Federal regulators lifting flight caps at O'Hare
16 June 2008

CHICAGO (AP) - Regulators announced Monday that they plan to lift a cap this fall that now limits the number of flights arriving each hour at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, saying growing capacity at one of the world's busiest airports would enable it to handle more planes.

Acting Federal Aviation Administration head Robert Sturgell cited O'Hare's $15 billion expansion project as he made the announcement.

The caps will expire on Oct. 31, he said, just weeks before the opening of a new runway on Nov. 20 -- the airport's first new runway since 1971, and about a month after the extension of another runway is scheduled for completion.

"The city of Chicago has outdone itself when it comes to boosting capacity," Sturgell told reporters at O'Hare.

A general industry slowdown amid high fuel costs made the FAA's decision to lift the caps easier. Fewer flights and improved O'Hare capacity make the risks of worsening delays for air travelers slim.

Currently, caps limit the number of arrivals to 88 flights per hour during peak hours. Lifting the caps should allow for an additional four to five planes per hour, or about 70 a day, Sturgell said.

Federal regulators imposed the caps in 2004 as a way to address chronic congestion and delays at O'Hare. Before the caps, more than 100 incoming flights landed at O'Hare each hour.

Mayor Richard Daley welcomed the decision, saying the caps have constrained airlines and consumer choice.

"Flight caps limit economic growth for the region and, if left in place, serve as a disincentive for future investment at the airport," he said. Daley added that "if not for (the O'Hare expansion), flight caps might have been necessary permanently."

The 440-acre O'Hare project calls for expanding and reconfiguring runways to reduce delays. It also calls for a new terminal with more gates and parking on the airport's west side.

The entire project should be done by 2014, Daley said.

"If you don't have vision, if you don't have the willingness to take it on and do it, then basically this airport will just close down by 2014," he said. "It'll get smaller and smaller."

Whoa, this thread is OLD..

I haven't even seen Dampyre around here for maybe 2 years. I think that's because he was banned, right?