FAA to meet again with airlines on possible flight reductions at O'Hare
Cuts to your summer flight schedules out of O'Hare International Airport could be on the way after a meeting between the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines.
The FAA will speak with United, American, and other smaller domestic carriers that operate out of O'Hare.
Officials said the reduction in flights will help ensure the remaining flights are on time, and increase safety.
Most of the concerns over congestion center around the upcoming summer season. But the "summer season" does not mean just the summer — it runs for seven months — from March 25 all the way through Oct. 25.
A total of 3,080 flights are scheduled at O'Hare on peak summer days — hundreds more per day than at the airport last summer, when there were 2,554
The FAA wants to cap the number of flights at 2,608 per day. But the Chicago Department of Aviation has proposed a cap of 2,800 per day.
In a statement, the FAA said the airport's current schedule would "stress the runway, terminal, and air traffic control."
But the Chicago Department of Aviation argued, "Any cap on this year's operations that is lower than the demonstrated manageable capacity is unwarranted, and would significantly disrupt the national airspace system."
The meeting Thursday continues discussions that began back on Wednesday, March 4.