The CEO of United Airlines said the main cause of long taxi times to gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport is a staffing shortage at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Speaking Tuesday at the Executive Club of Chicago, Scott Kirby called on the FAA to fix the problem.
Kirby pointed in particular to understaffing in the south air traffic control tower at O’Hare. In his view, having enough employees in that tower could cut taxi times by as much as six to seven minutes. Taxi times at O’Hare, Chicago’s largest international airport, have grown longer, particularly because of the large-scale terminal expansion and modernization project known as ORDNext. At times it forces aircraft to take a longer route around the construction site to reach their assigned gate.
Scott Kirby did not address his airline’s fierce competition with American Airlines for gates at O’Hare, an issue that, according to the FAA, also contributes to congestion. Both carriers added hundreds of new flights in preparation for the summer 2026 season, before the FAA, citing limited capacity, introduced a daily cap on departures.
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Source: Polski.FM
