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FAA Grounds Flights: O'Hare Faces Summer Limits
17 Apr
Summary
- FAA orders flight cap at O'Hare from May 17 to October 24.
- Daily operations limited to 2,708 arrivals and departures.
- Last summer saw only 56% of departures and 58% of arrivals on time.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented a daily flight limit at Chicago O'Hare International Airport for the upcoming summer season. This order, effective from May 17 through October 24, will restrict operations to 2,708 arrivals and departures each day. The FAA's decision follows a surge in planned flights by airlines, which threatened to overwhelm airport capacity and exacerbate delays. Airlines had scheduled over 3,000 daily flights for peak summer days, a nearly 15% increase from the previous year, despite ongoing construction. Last summer's operational challenges at O'Hare, one of the busiest U.S. airports, saw approximately 56% of departures and 58% of arrivals departing on time. These delays were largely attributed to construction projects and general airfield congestion, highlighting the risks of overscheduling.