Balancing flights at O’Hare, soundproofing gaps on commission’s to-do list
This summer produced an anomaly at O’Hare International Airport — more daytime flights on the northern airfield than the southern one, officials said Friday.
Typically, the south airfield, where O’Hare’s longest runway is located, is the busiest, causing consternation for nearby towns.
But in August, “we saw a lot of activity pushed to the north airfield” Chicago Department of Aviation consultant Ryan Anderson said at an O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission meeting. That’s because of taxiway improvements and other construction occurring at the south end this summer.
About 57% of departures were from the north airfield this August. That’s compared to 75% of departures from the south airfield in August 2023.
A mega project to switch the airport from diagonal runways to parallel ones was completed in 2021 with the intent of improving safety and efficiency, and spreading the jet din more evenly across the region.
That last goal has been slow in arriving, and with construction wrapping up, the status quo is back, ONCC member and Bensenville Village Manager Evan Summers said Friday.
He requested the commission try to “codify” a fair distribution of airplanes.
“I’m looking for a way to create a plan or procedures that ensure some semblance of balance between the north and southern airfield,” Summers said.
“This summer proved that a balanced airfield is possible.”
“We’re willing to explore that and talk with the FAA and be part of those discussions,” Chicago Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee said.
Anderson also reported flight operations rose to 71,272 in August, the highest monthly tally since 2019. The spike coincided with thousands of visitors flocking to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.
Meanwhile, Medinah resident Dan Dwyer asked the ONCC to advocate for residential soundproofing aid in several communities near the airport beset by jet noise.
Areas of Chicago, Harwood Heights, Itasca, Norridge and Rosemont were not included in noise analyses in O’Hare’s new Terminal Area Plan, but were still determined ineligible for federal sound insulation funding, Dwyer said.
The TAP, approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022, would replace Terminal 2 with a Global Terminal and build new concourses.
“Thousands of residents are currently living a nightmare” because of being in areas where plane noise is 65 decibels or higher without sound insulation, Dwyer said.
Asked about the issue, Rhee said the CDA would consult with the FAA and “explore every option we can to be good neighbors. We take this very seriously.”