Scott Kirby’s gambit has failed. United Airlines isn’t going to push American out of Chicago after all. In fact, American Airlines is poised to get back 3 gates at O’Hare airport, based on a new preliminary determination by the city.
- Last year United Airlines gained 5 gates and American Airlines lost 4 gates.
- Each year, the city is supposed to notify airlines about common use and preferential use gate allocations. Those are tied to prior year schedules.
- American began rebuilding its O’Hare operations last year. United said in January that they expected American to be awarded three gates this year as a result.
American Airlines is poised to win back three gates that it lost at O’Hare International Airport, while rival United Airlines is expected to give up three gates in the latest round of reshuffling space at the airport.
…The new allocation of gates, issued March 30, is preliminary and doesn’t factor in Southwest Airlines’ decision to stop serving O’Hare, where it had three gates in Terminal 5, in June. United and American operate in terminals 1, 2 and 3.
American Airlines will regain 3 gates. They bought two gates from Spirit Airlines, which I was first to report. As a result, American should have a net gain of one gate at O’Hare compared to a year ago.
While American has argued persuasively that last year’s reallocation shouldn’t have happened under the Airport Use and Lease Agreement – that the first reallocation shouldn’t occur until at least April 1, 2027, because gate additions were supposed to have been complete and used for a year first – it seems to me that American escapes unharmed, at least as long as the FAA’s flight caps at the airport hold.
American has been able to operate the flights it wants out of the gates that it has, and isn’t being permitted to grow beyond last summer’s levels anyway. That suggests there aren’t really any damages from the early gate re-allocation.
This also suggests that United’s arguments that the FAA should have taken into account gate reallocations in deciding flight caps (allowing United to grow, and forcing American to shrink) is largely wrong because those reallocations are mostly being reversed.
United will still be up one gate from the reallocation, and one gate they acquired from Spirit. So that’s two more gates than before, versus one more for American, sligtly widening their lead at the airport.
American is refreshing its L concourse club at the airport, and has woken up to the importance of the Chicago market for its Citibank credit card partnership.
Unless United is able to overturn the FAA order limiting flights, it looks like their CEO Scott Kirby’s gambit to force American to de-hub O’Hare did not work.
(HT: Enilria)
Bahaha. Suck it Scott.
@Tim Dunn, do tell us, how is this good for Delta?
The story is not over—United will prevail
@trk1 — “Unless United is able to overturn the FAA order limiting flights” …so, how much will United need to ‘bribe’ the grifter-in-chief to get their way here? Surely, a multi-million-dollar ‘donation’ to the presidential library/skyscraper in Miami would suffice.
the way that DL benefits, 1990, is by ORD capacity being capped.
but let’s also be clear how much UA blabbed about pushing AA out.
AA put out very strong guidance for the 2nd quarter as part of its 1st quarter earnings and Wall Street liked it. They, like WN, seem to have turned the corner in generating revenue.
UA has failed to grow or been forced to limit capacity at EWR, ORD and SFO. No other airline has been put under as many growth restrictions as UA.
@Tim Dunn — One thing Delta does right at ORD… The new-ish SkyClub; boarding from the lounge. That is cool.
@Tim Dunn – Wall Street very much did not seem to like Southwest’s story today. AAL up over 2%, LUV down over 4%.
Tim, you said this fight in ORD was good for Delta literally in other posts from Gary, now that the fight is over it can’t also be good for Delta – it doesn’t go both ways. Either competitors are using capacity unprofitably against each other or they aren’t. And well now they aren’t.
“UA failed to grow at EWR, ORD and SFO” – in 2025 UA grew pax 1.8% in NYC (with a lot of that gain from EWR) and Delta… let me see… lost 1.8% – so UA grew while restricted and Delta lost while not restricted? Interesting strategy there. Cirium data also shows United has gained in ORD and SFO? – referring to Cranky’s post here, I don’t have full cirium access so if you do I’d be happy to see the data. But I mean at least with the facts it looks like you are once again wrong Timmy boy!
It really is wild that AA literally asked the authority that determines when the gate allocation occurs at ORD if their understanding of the timing language was correct — the airport in writing agreed with AA then went ahead and started the gate allocation process regardless.
I suppose there are some great benefits to being a Chicago-based Airline at ORD — corruption works in your favor.
@ORD_Is_my_poor_home I don’t think anyone is jealous of your hometown
@MaxPower — I see you summoned our Fine Illinois Brethren! Will he answer the call??
Gary,
Wall Street responded well to AA and DL’s earnings but against UA and WN’s.
they didn’t like UA and WN’s vagueness about full year guidance.
Andy,
AA and UA’s fight at ORD was going to dump lots of capacity into the Midwest where DL is the largest carrier; there is no planet on which anyone can interpret what happened or what I said as being good for DL if AA and UA succeeded at their massive capacity dumps.
and, yes, UA is increasing capacity at EWR by upgauging -exactly what it should do at ORD instead of flying 42 and 50 seat regional jets.
and max is right on this one and perhaps part of why the FAA decided to step in since the admnistration does not exactly have a love affair with Chicago.
No matter how many people try to spin it otherwise, UA has been losing in one strategy after another – exactly what happens when you proclaim yourself far greater than you really are.
and investors who really care only about money and not the drama that fuels aviation social media is panning UA’s strategies in favor of DL in great measure.
UA has wiped out 5 years of stock growth relative to DL in just a couple months.
Oh poor Spectrum Boy, he has a sad. UA is still growing at ORD, just slower, and there are no restrictions on growth. SFO runway restrictions are below daily totals, UA welcomes the EWR caps, and their lead at ORD is massive.
Average daily ASMs:
UA at ORD ~73 million
AA at ORD ~42.5million
Average daily pax at ORD:
UA over 52,000 but AA at 35,000
Average daily revenue at ORD:
UA nearly 11$million and AA at 6million.
It is not even close.
Are you sad DL’s stock is down Spectrum Boy. Georgia Klan Air got another Federal Civil Rights complaint this week, so they are winning that battle LOL
You just have a sad UA beat Delta ‘peave be upon them” for another first quarter. lol Now Dance boy, dance!