January 24, 2018

Mayor Emanuel Announces Record-Breaking Year for Passengers and Air Cargo at Chicago Airports

O’Hare and Midway served more than 100 million travelers combined in 2017

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that 2017 was another record-breaking year for O'Hare and Midway International Airports combined, with the most passengers served and highest volume of cargo tonnage handled to date. According to the Chicago Department of Aviation's (CDA) preliminary data from airlines, more than 102 million passengers traveled through O’Hare and Midway International Airports last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2016. Total air cargo tonnage handled at O’Hare was approximately 1.9 million tons, representing a nearly 12 percent increase over the previous record for the airport also set in 2016.



“It is no coincidence that Chicago's airports are experiencing year over year growth. The numbers represent Chicago's commitment to making lasting improvements in our international airports that keep attracting airlines, passengers and air cargo to invest in our City,” said Mayor Emanuel. “With major modernization programs underway at both airports, we will continue driving economic opportunities for the City and region for decades to come.”

O’Hare handled 79.8 million passengers in 2017, representing a steady 2.4 percent increase over 2016 and marking the highest total in the airport’s history. Midway also recorded one of its highest annual totals for travelers last year, with 22.4 million passengers the airport. This level of growth is consistent with FAA forecasts, and follows the expansion of service by Chicago’s airline partners to more than 35 domestic and international destinations in 2017.

“The record-breaking passenger and cargo traffic at Chicago’s airports last year clearly shows the strength of the Chicago market and growing economic impact of aviation has for our city and region,” said Ginger S. Evans, Commissioner, CDA. “We expect this growth to continue and our ongoing and future projects to modernize O’Hare and Midway to keep Chicago at the forefront of aviation, providing unmatched connectivity to travelers, as well as economic opportunity for our surrounding communities.”

Air cargo flown through Chicago also reached new heights in 2017. The record-breaking tonnage at O’Hare is attributable to strong trade with Asia, stable economic conditions worldwide, e-commerce growth and additional the capacity created by the O’Hare’s new state-of-the-art Northeast Cargo Development. The second phase of the $220 million cargo development at O’Hare opened last year and planning is underway for a third phase.

Even with increased passengers, Chicago’s airports were among the best in the nation in 2017 for wait times at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints. In fact, average TSA wait times for passengers at both airports were consistently below 10 minutes throughout the year.

The CDA is overseeing major modernization projects at both airports to improve the customer experience and meet growing demand for air travel through Chicago.

At Midway, a nearly $400 million modernization program is underway to improve travel to and from the airport including a larger security checkpoint for faster screening; more dining and shopping options; and an expanded garage for convenient parking next to the terminal.

At O'Hare, the City of Chicago along with its airline partners will expand capacity through the development of a multi-billion dollar capital program, called O’Hare 21. O’Hare 21 will focus on modernizing terminals, expanding gate capacity and passenger amenities, and other enhancements to increase the efficiency of the growing airport operations. These investments will provide for increased ease and connectivity for travelers, while ensuring that O’Hare remains a top choice for passengers in Chicago and around the world.

Today's preliminary traffic numbers also come on the heels of a recent industry report finding Chicago's airports the best connected in the nation. Final reports on 2017 year-end performance will be published on the CDA website in March. For more information on airport performance for O'Hare and Midway, please visit www.flychicago.com.

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