An updated timeline has been revealed for the massive expansion of O’Hare International Airport as the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) begins funding efforts. Announced back in 2018, earlier this year the city reached a resolution with airlines on a new phasing plan for construction as costs continue to balloon with inflation.
Airfield reconfiguration diagram via City of Chicago. Building footprints do not reflect final designs
Rendering of O’Hare Global Terminal by Studio Gang
Initially the airport expected to build two remote/satellite concourses, a connecting tunnel, and the central Global Terminal in that order. However, cost discussions led to a change in priorities, with Satellite Concourse 1 designed by SOM, Ross Barney Architects, Arup, and JGMA going up first. This will be followed by the Studio Gang designed Global Terminal replacing Terminal 2.
O’Hare carrier market over the years via City of Chicago
O’Hare construction timeline via City of Chicago
New city bond documents show that work on Satellite Concourse 1 will be completed in 2028, with the Global Terminal on track for its formerly announced 2032 date. From there things will accelerate with the construction of the aforementioned connection tunnel and people mover within it as well as Satellite Concourse 2 being completed in 2034.
Rendering of Satellite Concourse 1 via CDA
Rendering of Satellite Concourse 1 connection via CDA
Once fully completed, the airport will gain roughly 25-percent more gate capacity and finally a second customs and immigration checkpoint. Creating the nation’s first airline alliance centric terminal, the space will allow for growth from both of the city’s hub airlines United and American, who announced new flights to Madrid earlier this week.
Rendering of Satellite Concourse 1 via CDA
Rendering of Satellite Concourse 1 via CDA
Additionally, the city also opened up bidding for a large portion of the concessions within Terminals 1 and 3 that are currently run by just two operators. This will allow for 21 new contracts relating to 75 eateries, 34 stores, and three duty-free shops according to Crain’s. Contracts for Terminal 2 were excluded as demolitions will commence in the next few years.
Rendering of Satellite Concourse 1 via CDA
Currently site prep has started for Satellite Concourse 1, with temporary bridges and large trench drains already being put into place for some of the upcoming tarmac work. This all comes as the city has begun offering $1 billion in bonds to fund the massive terminal redevelopment. With that, construction on Satellite Concourse 1 should fully kick off next year.
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Boy was I wrong. I thought all the ongoing extension work for 390 and the creation of 490 meant that the proposed western employee parking and screening facility was actually going to be another terminal for travelers (especially those coming from the western burbs), and that the consolidated tunnel would connect the whole thing. Hmmm.
2032?? Pathetic!! Have a little more ambition than that. Especially when you started looking at doing this 6 years ago!
2032? Try 2034 assuming no further delays.
They usually do this within a year, from design to completion, in China.
I nearly tore my ACL running to the comments on this post
They are doing a massive 3 Billion airport expansion in Dallas at DFW on a much faster time line. This is an example of when you have a pro business city/ state vs a multi layered bureaucracy with the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. We attract business when we offer massive tax incentives.
Chicago politics and union contracts are destroying this. This will never be built as originally proposed. What a waste.
Wasn’t this touted as a “backdoor” to O’hare from the West???? What am I missing here?? Where is the access to the terminals for the people actually paying to fly? That’s coming sometime after 2032?? What a crock and what a waste.
This is singularly unexciting when you dig into it. The satellite concourse will be smaller in terms of gates than originally shown. It will also be where they put smaller planes and pesky domestic travelers. No big change to AA’s mess in their terminal other than maybe some luxury for a few international flights in the new global terminal. Way to go ORD! I guess the second customs location will be nice.
Dude…. Much more had to be completed and Chicago O’Hare and DFW are not comparable at all. First of all chicago’s doing a lot more work, and has had to invest in infrastructure that was quite older to start with than newer and lame DFW. Chicago had to find an agreement with both American and United as United is the hometown airline and American has always kept Chicago its second most important hub until America West became the owner. American was busy focusing on their southern network and now they realize the two most important markets of NYC and Chicago have been lost. United is now the fortress of Chicago and operates 95 gates, with 125 gates soon to be assigned, with 12 gates open to both companies. American Airlines has doubled down on Chicago even though they went from #1 airline to last of the big 3. Chicago not only has a much bigger Metro population and is more ideal in location than Dallas, plus add Milwaukee Metro as it’s merging together and there is nearly 13 million as a base. Chicago has the business clients that Dallas can’t attract, and a much wealthier population that can upgrade accomodations. Chicago brings in tourism numbers that even the entire state of Texas struggles to attract. Texas is becoming very business unfriendly and has a disaster in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio who? Dallas / FT Worth is at least a growing Metro but crime is higher, workforce is less educated, and has never been able to compete with Chicago in job growth in the modern era, as Chicago is #1 in large company corporate relocations since 2013. Chicago investment beats every Texas City and its airport expansion has actually cost 20 billion, not including rebuilding Southwest airlines #1/#2 Hub airport Midway also costing billions. O’Hare is so important that erican has jumped its flights up to 980 a day from 800, while United has added 420 flights in recent years. O’Hare now averages 2,480 departure and or landings, making the airport in 2025 the world’s busiest again and the first time surpassing 900,000 flights since 2019. American is also adding 22% capacity by focusing more on mainline jets. They now have 75 gates however as 5 more Were given to United. Chicagos global terminal will not have assigned gates but will be huge and the biggest large room terminal The airport in total has a record 207 gates with 240-250 being expected in final number. Chicagos on time rate is better than all major hubs as the 8 runways is something no other major airport can claim to have. New under ground tunnels and transport is being built, a 1.5b expansion of Terminal 5, 300mil for Terminal 3 expansion, all new tech. Chicago also is handling the world’s largest “busiest” inland port authority cargo hub. The expansion included the 250 plus new stores, some of and in one case the largest club for an airline as American, Delta, United, and Southwest.Keep in mind while Chicago was rebuilding Southwests and ATA’s largest hub of Chicago Midway, plus the virus investment in its green energy, crime reduction, while solidifying Chicago as the nations train and cargo hub,the nations largest number of doctors graduating, Its the 17th biggest economy worldwide with the most highways in anyetro. Chicago continued to bring in big numbers at their six flags in Chicago, causing six flags to under invest in its original Texas park, while Chicago has several record breakers. Chicago is the film making capital and is on par to surpass Los Angeles. Most importantly, Chicago and Illinois as a whole have been investing in infrastructure and buildings. Chicago continued to have the fastest down town population growth for a 6th decade. Chicago also has another building boom, building BMO tower, Bank of America Tower, 1000M tower, neom Chicago, One Chicago, SalesnForce Chicago tri tower, The 78 neighborhood, Lincoln yards and bronzeville development. Trump Tower Chicago, St Regis Chicago, the Aqua Tower, park tower, one bennet tower, Legacy @ Millennium Park Tower, Hyatt World Wide HQ, two additional towers with no names as of yet. All these towers are complete and stand 737ft at the lowest, and 1391 ft at the highest. Chicago also is having 3 skyscrapers under active construction with several more joining in, including adding Chicagos new second tallest building surpassing Trump Tower at 1422 feet, others include a second tower to have its own twin towers standing 85 stories. The city has 1,450 high rises,with 137 completed towers that ate considered as of 2024, with 9 more approved, and countless more on the works.