United Airlines CEO urges FAA to increase staffing at Chicago O'Hare Airport to reduce taxi times

The CEO of United Airlines said FAA staffing is the main reason it takes so long to taxi to your gate at Chicago O'Hare international Airport.

While speaking at the Executive Club of Chicago on Tuesday, Scott Kirby urged the Federal Aviation Administration to fix the problem.

The Chicago Tribune, which was in attendance at the event, reported that Kirby specifically honed in on staff shortages at O'Hare's south control tower.

He claimed proper staffing levels in that tower could slash taxi times by six or seven minutes.

Taxi times at O'Hare have grown longer, especially during the airport's massive terminal expansion and modernization project, known as ORDNext, which sometimes requires planes to take a longer route around the construction to get to their gate.

Kirby did not address his airline's fierce rivalry with American Airlines for gates at O'Hare, which the FAA has argued also contributes to the congestion.

The two airlines added hundreds of new flights ahead of the 2026 summer travel season before the FAA imposed a daily cap on departures due to capacity concerns.