Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) has been nip and tuck for several years now with Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport for the title of world's busiest airport.

O'Hare is a major hub for Chicago-based United Airlines and for Dallas-based American Airlines. In addition to these two giants, over 40 other carriers fly out of O'Hare. Looking out of any terminal window towards the runways, one may see aircraft bearing the markings of not only the major U.S.-based carriers like Delta, Continental, and US Air, but many international carriers-Aer Lingus, KLM Royal Dutch, British Air, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, JAL (Japan Airlines,) Pakistan International, Royal Jordanian, and many more-as they transport passengers to more than 60 destinations around the world.

O'Hare is known for schedule-busting weather-related delays and flight cancellations, but even so it was named "Best Airport in America" by the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine. There is a project underway to expand the terminal capacities and improve the runway configuration in a way that will help relieve congestion.

O'Hare is a non-smoking airport, except in designated areas.

WiFi Internet service is available, with numerous hot spots located in each of the four terminals.

O'Hare has three lots-A, B, and C-adjacent to the three domestic terminals. Lot A is a multilevel parking garage and offers valet, hourly, and daily parking. It has entrances leading to each of the three main terminals.

While the Lot A garage complex is very large, is very convenient. Level 1 of Lot A is suitable for meeting arriving passengers, and is the closest parking to the terminals. First hour is $2, 3 hours or less $4, $50/day.

The drop-off points for Lot A's valet parking are located adjacent to Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.

Levels 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 of Lot A provide daily parking. Rates are the same for all levels: First hour is $2, daily is $26/day. From these levels, one may descend to use the underground walkways, or use the covered overhead walkway to enter Terminal 1.

Just past Lot A are Lots B and C. These are ground level outdoor lots and are a short walk to Terminals 1, 2, and 3. First Hour is $2, daily is $26/day.

Lot D serves the more isolated International Terminal 5. It is a short walk from Lot D into Terminal 5. The Lot D parking rates are: First hour $2, daily is $30/day.

Long Term Parking Further away from the terminals are Lots G, E, and F (currently closed) which are all close to the rental car area. These are the long term 'economy' parking lots. First Hour is $2, daily is $13/day. Shuttles will take you from a point near your car to the free ATS (People Mover) stop located in Lot E. From there the ATS will take you to your destination terminal.

Chicago O'Hare's parking facilities offer a variety of useful services to users including battery starts, windshield cleaning, escort service, lost car assistance, tire change, key retrieval, tire inflation, and directions. Service may be obtained by calling (773) 686-7530 or using the assistance intercoms located outside of each elevator center and at bus shelters.

Chicaga O'Hare International Airport

Chicaga O'Hare International Airport (IATA: ORD, ICAO: KORD, FAA LID: ORD), also known simply as O'Hare Airport or O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop. It is the largest hub of United Airlines (whose headquarters is in downtown Chicago) and the second-largest hub of American Airlines (after Dallas/Fort Worth). It is operated by the City of Chicago Department of Aviation, associated with an umbrella regional authority.

In 2005, the airport had 972,246 aircraft operations, an average of 2,663 per day (64% scheduled commercial, 33% air taxi, 3% general aviation and <1% military).[1] Prior to 2005, O'Hare was the world's busiest airport in terms of takeoffs and landings. That year, mainly due to limits imposed by the federal government to reduce flight delays at O'Hare,[3] Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport became the busiest by that metric. O'Hare currently accounts for over a sixth of the nation's total flight cancellations.[4] Currently, O'Hare International Airport is the second busiest airport in the United States in terms of traffic, and the second in the world with 76,248,911 passengers passing through the airport in 2006; a -0.3% change from 2005. [5] O'Hare also has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations. O'Hare was ranked fourth in 2005 of the United States' international gateways, with only John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport, and Miami International Airport serving more foreign destinations.

O’Hare International Airport was voted the Best Airport in North America for the past nine years by readers of the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine (1998 - 2003), and Global Traveler Magazine (2004 - 2007), marking the tenth year in a row O'Hare has earned the top honor. [6]

Although O'Hare is Chicago's primary airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, the city's second airport, is about six miles closer to the Loop, the main business and financial district. Located 60 miles northwest of O'Hare is Chicago's third regional airport, Chicago Rockford International Airport.

The airport was constructed between 1942 and 1943 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square-foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small pre-existing community in the area, and the airport was known during the war as Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (hence the call sign ORD). The facility was also the site of the Army Air Force's 803 Special Depot, which stored many rare or experimental planes, including captured enemy aircraft. These historic aircraft would later be transferred to the National Air Museum, going on to form the core of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's collection.

Air Traffic Control Towers

Douglas Aircraft Company's contract ended in 1945, and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas, the airport took the name Orchard Field Airport. In 1945, the facility was chosen by the City of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands. Though its familiar three-letter IATA code ORD still reflects the early identity of the airport, it was renamed in 1949 after Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a World War II flying ace who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

By the early 1950s, Chicago Midway International Airport, which had been the primary Chicago airport since 1931, had become too small and crowded despite multiple expansions and was unable to handle the planned first generation of jets. The City of Chicago and FAA began to develop O'Hare as the main airport for Chicago's future. The first commercial passenger flights were started there in 1955, and an international terminal was built in 1958, but the majority of domestic traffic did not move from Midway until completion of a 1962 expansion of O'Hare. The arrival of Midway's former traffic instantly made O'Hare the new World's Busiest Airport, serving 10 million passengers annually. Within two years that number would double, with more people passing through O'Hare in 12 months than Ellis Island had processed in its entire existence. In 1997, annual passenger volume reached 70 million; it is now approaching 80 million. At this time of writing,[when?] United serves its flagship hub with 650 daily departures, but the carrier's utilization of O'Hare peaked at over 1,000 daily flights in 1994[7].

O'Hare Airport is municipally connected to the city of Chicago via a narrow strip of land, approximately 200 feet wide, running along Higgins Rd from the Des Plaines river to the airport. This land was annexed into the city limits in the 1950s to assure the airport was contiguous with the city to keep it under city control. The strip is bounded on the north by Rosemont and the south by Schiller Park.[1] The CTA Blue Line was extended to the airport in 1984.

O'Hare's high volume and crowded schedule can lead to long delays and cancellations that, due to the airport being a major hub, can affect air travel across the United States. Official reports rank O'Hare as the least punctual airport in the United States based on percentage of delayed flights.[citation needed] In 2004, United Airlines and American Airlines agreed to modify their schedules to help reduce congestion caused by clustered arrivals and departures. Because of the air traffic departing, arriving, and near the airport, air traffic controllers at O'Hare and its nearby facilities are among the leaders in the world in terms of number of controlled flights per hour.

City management has committed to a $6 billion capital investment plan to increase the airport's capacity by 60% and decrease delays by an estimated 79 percent[15]. This plan was approved by the FAA in October 2005 and will involve a reconfiguration of the airfield and addition of terminal space. Four runways will be added and two decommissioned in order to give the airfield an eight-runway parallel configuration similar to those in Dallas. This plan is essential to O'Hare in alleviating the airport's flight limits so O'Hare will not be eclipsed by other airports in terms of passenger numbers in the future.

Also, airplanes will be capable of arriving and departing more quickly, despite Chicago's occasional extreme winter weather. Modernization Plan is under construction, and a new runway, extension of an existing runway and a new Air Traffic Control Tower will be commissioned on November 20, 2008. New north runway 9L/27R will be primarily a bad weather arrival runway, addressing one of O'Hare's primary causes of delay. Terminals 3 and 5 will undergo expansion, and a new west terminal is planned with western access into the airport; however, some land acquisition is necessary, requiring approximately 2,800 residents to be relocated. The program will expand the airport's capacity to over 3,800 operations per day, up from the present capacity of 2,700 and will vastly increase passenger throughput capacity and, ultimately, allow the A380 to operate at O'Hare.

Flight caps in place since 2004 are scheduled to be lifted on 20 November 2008 when a new runway is put into service at the airport. This will greatly increase both passenger & flight totals for the airport, easily exceeding pre-cap levels.

Resistance and alternatives

The neighboring communities of Bensenville and Elk Grove Village have been centers of resistance to the expansion plan. As a result of the expansion, some residents and businesses will be required to relocate. Bensenville and Elk Grove Village formed the Suburban O'Hare Commission [16] to fight the expansion. So far, they have not had much success, but the commission did receive a temporary injunction against the city's expansion project that was approved by the FAA; however, the injunction was quickly overturned. The Suburban O'Hare Commission has also been instrumental in pushing for a third regional airport in south suburban Peotone, which they claim would alleviate the problems at O'Hare. However, no airline has signed on for the proposed airport.

In 1995 the Chicago/Gary Airport Compact was signed by the cities of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, creating the governing body of the Gary/Chicago International Airport just across the state line. While markedly smaller than the proposed Peotone site, this airport already has more land than Midway and an active runway longer than the longest at Midway Airport, and is miles closer to the population in greatest need of access to air transport. While Chicago would like to see a strong Gary airport, the state of Illinois does not appear interested in expanding an airport across state lines. However, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has provided significant funding for a runway expansion that is currently under construction; the FAA has also approved Gary as the new Chicago airport; regardless of O’Hare expansion, the FAA feels it necessary to expand Gary.

Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Rockford, Illinois has recently made a big push to be an alternative for relieving congestion at O'Hare. However, it is at least a 1-1/2 hour trip to Rockford from the Chicago Loop. Currently there is no direct transportation service from downtown Chicago or O'Hare to the Chicago Rockford International Airport, but airline service at the airport continues to grow. Larry Morrissey, the current mayor of Rockford, has pushed since being elected for a high-speed rail connection between the two airports to make the Rockford airport a more convenient alternative to O'Hare.

General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee, WI has consistently attempted to increase its usage by Chicago and Northern Illinois customers. There is a direct Amtrak rail connecting Chicago from Mitchell Airport. The trains operate 7 round trips each day, taking under 75 min. from the Chicago loop.

O'Hare International has four passenger terminals. Two or more additional terminal buildings are envisioned. There is the possibility of a large terminal complex for the west side of the field, with access from I-90 and/or the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, if the runway reconfiguration is completed. For complete information on flights to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, please see the airport's website. Chicago O'Hare International Airport provides 186 aircraft gates throughout 4 Terminals (1, 2, 3, 5) and 9 concourses (B, C, E, F, G, H, K, L, M)

There are two main cargo areas at O'Hare that have warehouse, build-up/tear-down and aircraft parking facilities. The Southwest Cargo Area, adjacent to Irving Park Road, accommodates over 80% of the airport's all-cargo flights, divided among 9 buildings in two tiers. The North Cargo Area, which is a modest conversion of the former military base (the 1943 Douglas plant area), also receives air freighters. It is adjacent to the northern portion of Bessie Coleman Drive.

Two satellite cargo areas have warehouse and build-up/tear down facilities, but aircraft do not park at these. Freight is trucked to/from aircraft on other ramps. The South Cargo Area is along Mannheim Road. The East Cargo Area, adjacent to Terminal 5, was formerly the airport's only cargo section but has now mostly evolved into an airport support zone.

Although all-cargo flights are important, an even greater amount of global air cargo flies in the cargo holds of passenger aircraft.

Terminal 3 was also built in the 1962 capital program. During the 1960s, and pre-airline deregulation, Concourse L was home to Delta Air Lines. Concourse H & K served American while Concourse K also served the large "regional" carrier North Central. Concourse G served TWA, with a few gates reserved for Air Canada. Terminal 3 was significantly expanded in 1983, with the construction of Concourse L. Renovation were recently completed, which ran from January 2004 to Late Fall 2007.

Terminal 4

Terminal 4 was O'Hare's interim international terminal from 1984 until 1993, located on the ground floor of the main parking garage. International passengers would check in at Terminal 4 and be taken directly to their aircraft by bus. Since the opening of Terminal 5, Terminal 4 has been changed into the airport's facility for CTA buses, hotel shuttles, and other ground transportation. The T4 designation will be used again in the future as new terminals are developed.

International TerminalNote: Terminal 5 handles all international arrivals at O'Hare (excluding airports with border preclearance), as well as some departing flights:

There are 6 primary air carrier runways, arranged tangentially in 3 pairs of parallel sets. The largest is Runway 14R-32L, 13,000' x 200'. Runways 14L-32R, 14R-32L, 9L-27R and 10-28 have Category III ILS (Instrument Landing System). All other runways except 4L-22R have full ILS.

All but one of O'Hare's runways intersect, which can create problems in times of inclement weather, congestion at the airport, or wind. Also, since most of the runways intersect, controllers must wait until a runway is free of traffic before they can clear another plane to use an intersecting runway. When a controller fails to do this, the results could possibly be a runway incursion, where planes come within a few hundred feet of each other and/or collide on the runways. There have been several near-aircraft collisions at O'Hare in recent years. The proposed redevelopment would alleviate most of this problem at O'Hare.

Three runways of the original 1943 airfield's four have been upgraded to modern standards. Additional runways were constructed in 1955, 1968, and 1971. In 2003, old Runway 18-36 was permanently closed—its short length and problematic placement no longer justified its continued certification. Runway 18-36 is now shown as taxiway GG on current airport charts.

The proposed redevelopment would entail removal of the 2 northwest–southeast runways, construction of 4 additional east–west runways, and extension of the 2 existing east–west runways. The two existing northeast–southwest runways would be retained.

Runway 32L is sometimes used for departures in a shortened configuration. Planes access the runway from its intersection at taxiway T10 (common) or taxiway M (not common). This shortens the effective length of the runway but allows operations on runway 10-28 to continue.

Due to a noise abatement program, O'Hare is obliged to use only one runway during the hours between midnight and 6 a.m.

The proposed runway re-configuration program at O'Hare would also prepare the airport for the A380 Super-Jumbo aircraft. The runways would be strengthened and/or widened to accommodate the new jumbo aircraft. As part of the runway re-configuration program, on July 5, 2007, the existing runway 9R-27L became runway 10-28, and on August 30, 2007, runway 9L-27R became 9R-27L.

Access to airport

Road vehicles enter and exit via I-190, which branches off I-90 (the Kennedy Expressway) leading to downtown Chicago. Cars may also access the airport locally from Mannheim Road, the airport's eastern boundary. Aside from cargo access on its south side, all airport traffic travels through the east side of the airport.
Trains from the Blue Line of the CTA's 'L' depart the terminal from an underground station that opened on September 2, 1984.
Commuter trains from the Metra North Central Service at the O'Hare Transfer station, which is connected to the Airport Transit System via a shuttle bus.

Access within the airport complex can be accomplished using O'Hare's Airport Transit System (ATS), a 2.5 mi (4 km) long automated people mover system that operates 24 hours a day, connecting all four terminals and the remote parking lots. The system began its operation in 1993, and will be soon undergoing a US $90 million enhancement to add 24 new cars and to extend the line to a new remote parking garage.

Other facilities

A large air cargo complex on the southwest side of the field was opened in 1984, replacing most of the old cargo area, which stood where Terminal 5 now exists.

The original Douglas plant on the northeast side evolved into an Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve facility, but this was closed in 1998 and is now being redeveloped for cargo and general aviation. Signature Flight Support services private aircraft in this area.

The hangar area has multiple buildings capable of fully enclosing aircraft up to the size of the Boeing 747.