FAA ORDERS LONG-AWAITED FLIGHT REDUCTIONS AT ORD
May 5, 2026
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On April 16, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized scheduling limits at Chicago O’Hare International Airport to mitigate congestion and prevent widespread flight delays. With some 3,080 flights planned on peak days at ORD, the FAA order will limit operations to a total of 2,708 flights per day during the Summer 2026 season. This represents a significant reduction from planned scheduling levels, meaning that U.S. air carriers will need to work cooperatively with the FAA’s Slot Administration Office to cut more than 300 daily flights. Importantly, the FAA’s scheduling reduction order only applies to U.S. air carriers and therefore foreign air carriers will not be required to reduce operations at ORD. Unscheduled operations (i.e., cargo, charter, or nonscheduled foreign air carrier operations) will be accommodated on a “first come, first serve” basis subject to both FAA and ORD approval. Before the scheduling limits take effect on June 2, 2026, U.S. air carriers are advised to modify their schedules and notify passengers of affected itineraries as soon as possible. Changes to U.S. air carrier schedules could have downstream effects on connecting traffic to/from ORD so codeshare partners should plan accordingly. Failure to comply with scheduling limits could result in civil penalties of up to $75,000 per flight above the prescribed limits. Limitations at ORD are set to expire on October 24, 2026, unless extended further by U.S. regulators.
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