American wants you to know it is committed to Chicago.
When asked about airlines’ plans for Windy City at an investor meeting Thursday, Chief Financial Officer Devon may stress the importance of Chicago to the United States. He repeatedly said that Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) was and was – its third largest hub.
Until 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic, the airline operated about 500 departures a day.
“This year, we are recovering from Chicago,” May said. “We have a huge customer base there… [and] We feel very good about growth opportunities. ”
The United States recently unveiled seven new or return routes from Chicago O’Hare, including Curacao International Airport (CUR), Roanoke-Braxburg Regional Airport (ROA), and Princess St. Martinson Juliana International Airport (SXM). It’s a long-distance addition this summer and something like Naples International Airport (NAP) in Italy.
The airline will depart on average from O’Hare on average 468 times a day in June, July and August, a planned data displayed by aviation analytics company Cirium.
A long-term hub
The United States has long had a hub in O’Hare. It has competed fiercely with its hometown United Airlines’ dominance in airports and cities since the early 1980s, including playing a major role in the iconic Chicago holiday film “One by One”.
But in recent months, airline executives have spoken out in particular about its Chicago presence. This is an important topic on the airline’s recent earnings call.
Before the pandemic, Americans focused on planting three hubs, and none of them were O’Hare.
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Dallas-Worth International Airport (DFW) Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – Remember the “DFW 900” and “Charlotte 700 Plus”? – As executives said at the time, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the airline’s most profitable base. The growth of these cities will benefit the entire airline, rather than adding flights elsewhere, that’s the idea.
In the days before the pandemic, U.S. executives rarely mentioned Chicago.
Counterattack
But now, Americans are facing physical threats from O’Hare. It could lose up to six gates under the terms of a 2018 agreement with the Chicago Department of Aviation. The agreement, which was also signed, was also signed, which was based primarily on the previous year’s departure.
This means that the number of O’Hare gates in O’Hare in 2026 may be set in the 2024 timetable. The cirium schedule shows that last year, an average of 349 flights a day, departing during the peak summers in June, July and August.
For comparison, Manchester United set off on average 481 times a day from O’Hare in 2024, and 496 departures in the summers of June, July and August.
United, which will get the gate in O’Hare next year, advertises around the city saying it is “Chicago’s No. 1 airline” and offers MileagePlus identity races for other operators’ flighters.
Read more: American Airlines rebuilds Chicago in “Fourth Inning”
Americans’ recovery in O’Hare was hampered by a shortage of pilots, slowing its recovery for regional partners after the 19th pandemic, May said Thursday.
“It’s later than we want,” he said of rebuilding the O’Hare hub for the Americans.
Although May refuses to comment specifically during the door allocation process, he does say the U.S. plan to “fully utilize” its “assets” (or gates) in O’Hare and grow there in the future.
The United States has filed a lawsuit to prevent Chicago from redistributing the door in O’Hare later this year. The case is waiting.
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