Chicago O'Hare Airport breaks summer passenger record as United warns flight caps could last until 2034

Chicago O’Hare broke its summer passenger record for the second straight year in 2026, while United warns that flight caps could remain in place for years. The Chicago Department of Aviation said more than 25 million passengers traveled to and through O’Hare from June through August—about 650,000 more than the previous summer, averaging nearly 275,000 per day. Traffic rose roughly 2.7% versus 2025, and each month cleared 8 million passengers, including 8.54 million in July. The total included over 20.4 million domestic and 4.6 million international passengers. The airport logged 245,719 takeoffs and landings, about 6% higher than summer 2025. FAA-imposed caps cut hundreds of flights daily and have already been extended; United’s Andrew Nocella expects limits could extend beyond late 2027 as ORDNext continues to run through 2034.