Two new flight paths out of airport to open

Air traffic controllers are criticizing the opening of two air lanes for planes departing Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The FAA on Thursday will increase the number of southbound departure tracks out of O'Hare to five lanes from three. The move is geared toward preparing the airspace for new parallel runways that Chicago is planning in the next decade as part of its $15 billion airport expansion.

FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro says no major benefits are expected immediately in terms of reducing delays, but it will help during some heavy traffic periods.

Jeffrey Richards of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at the FAA's Chicago Center radar facility in Aurora says the new procedures have some rough spots that need to be worked out. And he says the lanes do not match up with the changes being made at O'Hare.