Putting Global Terminal first may resolve turbulence over O’Hare redo

Prioritizing construction of a new Global Terminal at O’Hare could be the cure to disagreements over an $8.5 billion redesign between the city and airlines.

Chicago and American and United airlines have been at odds for months over delays and cost overruns involved with the Terminal Area Project at O’Hare International Airport.

But a move by the city to focus on the Global Terminal, which would replace Terminal 2, and build two satellite concourses sequentially is a positive development, the carriers said Saturday.

“For the past year, we have been working closely with (Mayor Brandon) Johnson’s administration to advance an on-budget terminal development program that not only delivers the modernized airport envisioned in the 2018 lease contract but also helps ensure O'Hare's future financial stability and competitiveness for years to come,” United and American officials said in a statement.

“The city has indicated that they are looking at all options to get an on-budget TAP moving forward, one being sequencing the project to deliver the most impactful elements the quickest. The Global Terminal has always been the centerpiece of this program and the most critical piece needed to ensure Chicago maintains its status as a global hub.”

The Chicago Department of Aviation did not comment Saturday but Crain’s reported Johnson confirmed, without giving details, that he had offered the two airlines a deal.

The airlines have indicated they don’t oppose the satellite concourses but consider the Global Terminal a consequential development that should be built first to benefit customers and avoid future budget constraints.

DePaul University aviation Professor Joseph Schwieterman commented that “everyone can feel a sigh of relief that the two parties, which seemed miles apart a few months ago, are eager to work together.”

However, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is concerned enough about the fate of the project, he urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a letter Friday to convene a meeting with all the players.

“All parties urgently need the expert mediation that only the U.S. Department of Transportation can provide to ensure a deal that is both fair and beneficial to local taxpayers and all passengers who fly through O’Hare,” Durbin wrote.

The two satellite concourses are key to expanding O’Hare’s gate capacity by 25%, which is essential to the airport’s success, said Durbin. He warned that if projects are peeled off, such as Satellite Concourse 2, it would damage O’Hare’s “status as a world-class airport.”