O'Hare International Airport

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Chicago O'Hare International Airport
IATA: ORD – ICAO: KORD – FAA: ORD
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		City of Chicago
Operator		Chicago Airport System
Serves		Chicago, Illinois
Elevation AMSL		668 ft / 204 m
Coordinates		41°58′43″N, 087°54′17″W
Website		flychicago.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
4L/22R	7,500	2,286	Asphalt
4R/22L	8,075	2,461	Asphalt
9L/27R	7,967	2,428	Asphalt/Concrete
9R/27L	10,144	3,092	Asphalt/Concrete
14L/32R	10,005	3,050	Asphalt
14R/32L	13,000	3,962	Asphalt/Concrete
Helipads
Number	Length		Surface
	ft	m
H1	200	61	Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations			958,643
Passenger volume			76,282,212
Cargo tonnage			1,718,011
Sources: FAA[1] and airport's website[2].

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (IATA: ORD, ICAO: KORD, FAA LID: ORD) is an airport located in Chicago, Illinois, United States, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop. It is the largest hub of United Airlines (whose headquarters will soon move from nearby Elk Grove Township to downtown Chicago) and the second-largest hub of American Airlines (after Dallas/Fort Worth). It is operated by the City of Chicago Department of Aviation, associated with an umbrella regional authority.

For 12-month period ending 12/31/2005 the airport had 972,246 aircraft operations, an average of 2,663 per day (64% scheduled commercial, 33% air taxi, 3% general aviation and <1% military).^[1] Prior to 2005, O'Hare was the world's busiest airport in terms of takeoffs and landings. That year, mainly due to limits imposed by the federal government to reduce flight delays at O'Hare,^[3] Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport became the busiest. O'Hare currently accounts for over a sixth of the nation's total flight cancellations.^[4] Currently, O'Hare International Airport is the second busiest airport in the United States in terms of traffic, and the second in the world with 76,248,911 passengers passing through the airport in 2006; a -0.3% change from 2005. ^[5] O'Hare also has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations. O'Hare was ranked fourth in 2005 of the United States' international gateways, with only John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport, and Miami International Airport serving more foreign destinations.

O’Hare International Airport was voted the Best Airport in North America for the past nine years by readers of the U.S. Edition of Business Traveler Magazine (1998 - 2003), and Global Traveler Magazine (2004 - 2006), marking nine years in a row O'Hare has earned top honor. ^[6]

Although O'Hare is Chicago's chief airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, the city's secondary airport, is narrowly closer to the Loop, the main business and financial district.

Contents 1 History 2 Incidents 3 Modernization plan 3.1 Resistance and alternatives 4 Terminals, airlines and destinations 4.1 Terminal 1 (United Airlines Terminal) 4.1.1 Concourse B 4.1.2 Concourse C 4.2 Terminal 2 4.2.1 Concourse E 4.2.2 Concourse F 4.3 Terminal 3 4.3.1 Concourse G 4.3.2 Concourse H 4.3.3 Concourse K 4.3.4 Concourse L 4.4 Terminal 4 4.5 Terminal 5 (International Terminal) 4.5.1 Concourse M 4.6 Cargo carriers 5 Facilities 5.1 Runways 5.2 Transit 5.3 Other facilities 6 Popular culture 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

The airport was constructed in 1942-43 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square-foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small pre-existing community in the area, and the airport was known during the war as Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (hence the callsign ORD). The facility was also the site of the Army Air Force's 803 Special Depot, which stored many rare or experimental planes, including captured enemy aircraft. These historic aircraft would later be transferred to the National Air Museum, going on to form the core of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's collection.

Douglas Aircraft Company's contract ended in 1945, and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas, the airport took the name Orchard Field Airport. In 1945, the facility was chosen by the City of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands. Though its familiar three-letter IATA code ORD still reflects the early identity of the airport, it was renamed in 1949 after Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a World War II flying ace who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

By the early 1950s, Chicago Midway International Airport, which had been the primary Chicago airport since 1931, had become too small and crowded despite multiple expansions and was unable to handle the planned first generation of jets. The City of Chicago and FAA began to develop O'Hare as the main airport for Chicago's future. The first commercial passenger flights were started there in 1955, and an international terminal was built in 1958, but the majority of domestic traffic did not move from Midway until completion of a 1962 expansion of O'Hare. The arrival of Midway's former traffic instantly made O'Hare the new World's Busiest Airport, serving 10 million passengers annually. Within two years that number would double, with more people passing through O'Hare in 12 months than Ellis Island had processed in its entire existence. In 1997, annual passenger volume reached 70 million; it is now approaching 80 million.

O'Hare Airport is municipally connected to the city of Chicago via a narrow strip of land, approximatly 200 feet wide, running along Foster Ave from the Des Plaines river to the airport. This land was added to the city limits in the 1950s to assure the airport was contiguous with the city to keep it under city control. The strip is bounded on the north by Rosemont and the south by Schiller Park.[1] The CTA Blue Line was extended to the airport in 1984.

[edit] Incidents

On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed upon takeoff en route to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California from Chicago, killing all 271 people on board and two people on the ground. The crash remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash in United States history.

On October 8, 2001, on American Airlines Flight 1238, en route from Los Angeles to Chicago, a man with severe mental problems stormed the cockpit 40 minutes before landing in Chicago, causing the plane to drop sharply and causing a panic. In light of the fear ignited by 9/11, flight crew and passengers were quick to wrestle the man to the ground and subdue him. Additionally, a distress signal was sent by the pilots, causing two F-16s to race at supersonic speeds to intercept and escort the aircraft to O'Hare International Airport. This caused a sonic boom in Chicagoland's Northwest Suburbs, startling hundreds of thousands of people. [2]

On May 8, 2002, alleged Al-Qaida member Jose Padilla was arrested after his plane landed at the airport for allegedly being a scout for a plot to plant a dirty bomb.

[edit] Modernization plan

O'Hare's high volume and crowded schedule can lead to cancellations and long delays that affect air travel across the United States. Official reports rank O'Hare as the least punctual airport in the United States based on percentage of delayed flights. In 2004, United Airlines and American Airlines agreed to modify their schedules to help reduce congestion caused by clustered arrivals and departures. Because of the air traffic departing, arriving, and near the airport, air traffic controllers at O'Hare and its nearby facilities are some of the hardest working in the world in terms of number of controlled flights per hour.

City management has committed to a $6 billion capital investment plan to increase the airport's capacity by 60% and decrease delays by an estimated 79 percent[3]. This plan was approved by the FAA in October 2005 and will involve a reconfiguration of the airfield and addition of terminal space. Four runways will be added and three decommissioned in order to give the airfield an eight-runway parallel configuration similar to those in Dallas. This plan is essential to O'Hare in alleviating the airport's flight limits so O'Hare will not be eclipsed by other airports in terms of passenger numbers in the future. The Modernization Plan is already under construction after long delays, and the first new runway of the plan is slated to be complete in 2008-2009. Terminals 3 and 5 will undergo expansion, and a new west terminal is planned with western access into the airport; however, some land acquisition is necessary, requiring approximately 2,800 residents to be relocated. The program will expand the airport's capacity to over 3,800 operations per day, up from the present capacity of 2,700 and will vastly increase passenger throughput capacity:      existing runway     new runway     removed runway

Phase 1 of the modernization program

Phase 2

Phase 3

Final runway configuration

[edit] Resistance and alternatives

The neighboring communities of Bensenville and Elk Grove Village have been centers of resistance to the expansion plan. As a result of the expansion, some residents and businesses will be required to relocate. Bensenville and Elk Grove Village formed the Suburban O'Hare Commission [4] to fight the expansion. So far, they have not had much success, but the commission did receive a temporary injunction against the city's expansion project that was approved by the FAA; however, the injunction was quickly overturned. The Suburban O'Hare Commission has also been instrumental in pushing for a third regional airport called Abraham Lincoln National Airport in south suburban Peotone, which they claim would alleviate the problems at O'Hare. However, no airline has signed on for the proposed airport.

In 1995 the Chicago/Gary Airport Compact was signed by the cities of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, creating the governing body of the Gary/Chicago International Airport just across the state line. While markedly smaller than the proposed Peotone site, this airport already has more land than Midway and an active runway longer than the longest at Midway Airport, and is miles closer to the population in greatest need of access to air transport. While Chicago would like to see a strong Gary airport, the state of Illinois does not appear interested in expanding an airport across state lines. However, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has provided significant funding for a runway expansion that is currently under construction; the FAA has also approved Gary as the new Chicago airport; regardless of O’Hare expansion, the FAA feels it necessary to expand Gary.

Chicago/Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Rockford, IL has recently made a big push in being an alternative to relieve congestion at O'Hare. Although Rockford is just up the Northwest Tollway from O'Hare, it is about a two hour trip from the Chicago Loop. Currently there is no direct transportation service from Downtown Chicago or O'Hare to the Chicago/Rockford International Airport, but airline service at the airport continues to grow. Larry Morrissey, the current mayor of Rockford, has pushed since being elected for a high-speed rail connection between the two airports to further make the Rockford airport an alternative to O'Hare.

General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee, WI has consistently attempted to increase its usage by Chicago and Northern Illinois customers. There is a direct Amtrak rail connecting Chicago from Mitchell Airport. The trains operate 7 round trips each day, taking under 75 min. from the Chicago loop.

[edit] Terminals, airlines and destinations

• O'Hare International

O'Hare International has four passenger terminals. Two or more additional terminal buildings are envisioned. There is the possibility of a large terminal complex for the west side of the field, with access from I-90 and/or the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, if the runway reconfiguration is completed.

[edit] Terminal 1 (United Airlines Terminal)

Note: International Arrivals are handled in Terminal 5.

[edit] Concourse B

• All Nippon Airways (Tokyo-Narita)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
  • Lufthansa operated by PrivatAir (Düsseldorf)
• United Airlines
  • Domestic: (Albany, Anchorage [seasonal], Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Boise, Boston, Bozeman [seasonal], Buffalo, Burlington, Charlotte, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Hartford/Springfield, Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole, Jacksonville [seasonal], Kahului, Kansas City, Kona, Los Angeles, Manchester (NH), Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans [seasonal], New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orange County, Palm Springs [seasonal], Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, St. Louis, St. Thomas, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach)
  • International: (Amsterdam, Aruba, Beijing, Bermuda, Calgary, Cozumel, Frankfurt, Grand Cayman, Hong Kong, Liberia, London-Heathrow, Mexico City, Montego Bay, Munich, Nagoya-Centrair, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Singapore, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, Winnipeg)
  • Ted operated by United Airlines (Cancún, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, San Juan, Tampa)
  • United Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Buffalo, Indianapolis, Louisville, Rochester (NY), South Bend, Syracuse)
  • United Express operated by GoJet Airlines (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Jacksonville [seasonal], Manchester (NH), Moline/Quad Cities [ends April 23, 2007], Omaha, San Antonio, St. Louis, Syracuse, Tulsa)
  • United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Allentown/Bethlehem, Atlanta, Appleton, Austin, Birmingham (AL), Boise, Calgary, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia, Columbus, Daytona Beach, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Greenville (SC), Kansas City, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Milwaukee, Moline/Quad Cities, Nashville, Raleigh/Durham, Rochester (NY), Savannah, South Bend, Springfield (IL) [begins April 24, 2007], Syracuse, Traverse City, Tulsa, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
  • United Express operated by Shuttle America (Albany, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Hartford/Springfield, Halifax [begins June 7, 2007], Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montréal, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Ottawa, Raleigh/Durham, White Plains)
  • United Express operated by SkyWest (Akron/Canton, Allentown/Bethlehem, Appleton, Aspen [seasonal], Austin, Birmingham (AL), Burlington, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (WV), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Edmonton, Fargo, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jacksonville [seasonal], Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Lincoln, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Moline/Quad Cities, Nashville, Norfolk, Omaha, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rapid City, Roanoke, Saginaw, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Savannah, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield/Branson, Springfield (IL), Syracuse, Traverse City, Tulsa, Wausau/Stevens Point, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
  • United Express operated by Trans States Airlines (Albany, Bloomington, Burlington, Harrisburg, Madison, Manchester (NH), Milwaukee, Moline/Quad Cities, Montréal, Omaha, Portland (ME), Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, South Bend, St. Louis, Syracuse, White Plains)

[edit] Concourse C

• United Airlines (See Concourse B)
  • United Express (See Concourse B)

The original 1955 passenger terminal for international flights, was replaced with the modern Terminal 1, designed by Helmut Jahn, in 1987.

[edit] Terminal 2

[edit] Concourse E

• Air Canada (Montréal, Toronto-Pearson)
• Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
  • Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
  • Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
• JetBlue Airways (Long Beach, New York-JFK)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• United Airlines
  • United Express (See Concourse B)

[edit] Concourse F

• United Airlines
  • United Express (See Concourse B)
• US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh)
  • US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)
  • US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Pittsburgh)
  • US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington-Reagan)

Terminal 2 was built in a large airport expansion in 1962, along with the original portion of Terminal 3.

[edit] Terminal 3

Note: International Arrivals are handled in Terminal 5.

[edit] Concourse G

• American Airlines
  • American Eagle (Albany, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Baton Rouge, Birmingham (AL) [begins April 10, 2007], Bloomington, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Champaign/Urbana, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Detroit, Dubuque, Evansville, Fayetteville (AR), Flint, Fort Wayne, Freeport, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Halifax [begins May 1, 2007], Hartford/Springfield, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson, Jacksonville, Kalamazoo, Knoxville, La Crosse, Little Rock, Lexington, Louisville, Madison, Marquette, Memphis, Milwaukee, Mobile [begins April 10, 2007], Moline/Quad Cities, Montreal, Nashville, Nassau, New York-JFK, Newburgh, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ottawa, Pensacola, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Providence, Richmond, Rochester (MN), Rochester (NY), Shreveport [begins April 10, 2007], Springfield (MO), Syracuse, Toledo, Traverse City, Tulsa, Washington-Dulles [ends June 1, 2007], White Plains, Wichita)

[edit] Concourse H

• American Airlines
  • Domestic: (Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Eagle/Vail [seasonal], El Paso, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hayden/Steamboat Springs [seasonal], Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole [seasonal], Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montrose/Telluride [seasonal], Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Orange County, Orlando, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach [seasonal])
  • International: (Acapulco [seasonal], Brussels, Calgary [seasonal], Cancún, Delhi, Dublin, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, Manchester (UK), Mexico City, Montréal, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Puerto Vallarta, Rome-Fiumicino [begins April 10, 2007], San Jose del Cabo, Shanghai-Pudong, Shannon, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver [seasonal])
  • American Eagle (See Concourse G)

[edit] Concourse K

• American Airlines (See Concourse H)

[edit] Concourse L

• Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Seattle/Tacoma)
• American Airlines (See Concourse H)
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)
  • Delta Connection operated by Comair (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK)
  • Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America (Atlanta [begins May 1, 2007])
• Iberia (Madrid)
• Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers)

Terminal 3 was also built in the 1962 capital program. It was significantly expanded in 1983, with the construction of Concourse L. It is currently undergoing renovation, scheduled to run from January 2004 to Late Fall 2007.

[edit] Terminal 4

Terminal 4 was O'Hare's interim international terminal from 1984 until 1993, located on the ground floor of the main parking garage. International passengers would check in at Terminal 4 and be taken directly to their aircraft by bus. Since the opening of Terminal 5, Terminal 4 has been changed into the airport's facility for CTA buses, hotel shuttles, and other ground transportation. The T4 designation will be used again in the future as new terminals are developed.

[edit] Terminal 5 (International Terminal)

Note: Terminal 5 handles all international arrivals at O'Hare (excluding airports with border preclearance), as well as the following departing flights:

[edit] Concourse M

• Aeroméxico (Durango, Guadalajara, León, Mexico City)
• Aer Lingus (Dublin, Shannon)
• Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• Air India (Delhi, Frankfurt, Hyderabad, London-Heathrow, Mumbai)
• Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
• Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa)
• Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)
• Austrian Airlines (Vienna) [begins May 23, 2007]
• bmi (Manchester (UK))
• British Airways (London-Heathrow)
• Cayman Airways (Grand Cayman) [seasonal]
• El Al (Tel Aviv) [ends April 17, 2007]
• Japan Airlines (Tokyo-Narita)
• KLM (Amsterdam)
• Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon)
• LOT Polish Airlines (Krakow, Warsaw)
• Mexicana (Guadalajara, León, Mexico City, Monterrey, Morelia, Zacatecas)
• Pakistan International Airlines (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Manchester (UK))
• Royal Jordanian (Amman)
• SAS (Copenhagen, Stockholm-Arlanda)
• Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
• TACA (Guatemala City, San Salvador)
• Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
• USA 3000 (Cancún [public charter], Fort Myers, Huatulco [public charter], Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Montego Bay, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, St. Petersburg/Clearwater)
• Virgin Atlantic Airways (London-Heathrow) [begins April 23, 2007]

[edit] Cargo carriers

• Aeromexpress
• Air China (Anchorage, Beijing) (Service Stops Only)
• Air France
• Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa)
• Atlas Air
• ANA Cargo
• Asiana
• Cargo 360
• Cargolux
• Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
• China Airlines (Anchorage, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• China Eastern
• China Southern
• DHL
• EVA Air (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• Evergreen
• Federal Express
• Gemini Air Cargo
• Kalitta Air
• Korean Air Cargo
• JAL Cargo
• Lufthansa Cargo
• Martinair (Amsterdam)
• NWA Cargo (Anchorage, Tokyo-Narita)
• Nippon Cargo Airlines (Tokyo-Narita)
• Polar Air Cargo
• Singapore Airlines Cargo
• UPS

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Runways

There are 6 primary air carrier runways, arranged tangentially in 3 pairs of parallel sets. The largest is Runway 14R-32L, 13,000' x 200'. Runways 14L, 14R, 27L and 27R have Category III ILS (Instrument Landing System). All other runways except 4L have full ILS.

All but one of O'Hare's runways intersect, which can create problems in times of inclement weather, congestion at the airport, or wind. Also, since most of the runways intersect, controllers must wait until a runway is free of traffic before they can clear another plane to use an intersecting runway. When a controller fails to do this, the results could possibly be a runway incursion, where planes come within a few hundred feet of each other and/or collide on the runways. There have been several near- aircraft collisions at O'Hare in recent years. The proposed redevelopment would alleviate most of this problem at O'Hare.

Three runways of the original 1943 airfield's four have been upgraded to modern standards. Additional runways were constructed in 1955, 1968, and 1971. In 2003, old Runway 18-36 was permanently closed -- its short length and problematic placement no longer justified its continued certification. Runway 18-36 is now shown as taxiway GG on current airport charts.

The proposed redevelopment would entail removal of the 2 northwest-southeast runways, construction of 4 additional east-west runways, and extension of the 2 existing east-west runways. The two existing northeast-southwest runways would be retained.

Runway 32L is sometimes used for departures in a shortened configuration. Planes access the runway from its intersection at taxiway T10 (common) or taxiway M (not common). This shortens the effective length of the runway but allows operations on runway 9R-27L to continue.

Due to a noise abatement program, O'Hare is obliged to use only one runway during the hours between midnight and 6AM.

The proposed runway re-configuration program at O'Hare would also prepare the airport for the A380 Super-Jumbo aircraft. The runways would be strengthened and/or widened to accommodate the new jumbo aircraft.

[edit] Transit

• Road vehicles enter and exit via I-190, which branches off I-90 (the Kennedy Expressway) leading to downtown Chicago. Cars may also access the airport locally from Mannheim Road, the airport's eastern boundary. Aside from cargo access on its south side, all airport traffic travels through the east side of the airport.
• Trains from the Blue Line of the CTA's "L" depart the terminal from an underground station that opened on September 2, 1984.
• The VAL ATS (Airport transit system) which was constructed in 1993 connects Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5 with long-term parking. The ATS runs 24 hours a day, with trains every 3-6 minutes.

[edit] Other facilities

A large air cargo complex on the southwest side of the field was opened in 1984, replacing most of the old cargo area, which stood where Terminal 5 now exists.

The original Douglas plant on the northeast side evolved into an Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve facility, but this was closed in 1998 and is now being redeveloped for cargo and general aviation. Signature Flight Support services private aircraft in this area.

The hangar area has multiple buildings capable of fully enclosing aircraft up to the size of the Boeing 747.

[edit] Popular culture

O'Hare has been referenced by many movies, TV shows and songs

• Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold says that Santa Claus has been spotted by air traffic controllers at O'Hare.
• O'Hare was frequently referenced in the TV show LAX.
• Meet the Parents & Meet the Fockers: Greg Focker departs O'Hare on his way to New York. (However, the scenes were shot at Westchester County Airport for Meet The Parents, and LA/Ontario International Airport was used for Meet The Fockers)
• My Best Friend's Wedding: Julia Roberts' character meets her friend's fiancée at O'Hare.
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Steve Martin is trying to get back to O'Hare in the hit comedy.
• Home Alone & Home Alone 2: The McAllisters live in a suburb of Chicago and are seen departing from O'Hare in both movies.
• Risky Business: There is a scene where Joel takes his parents to O'Hare; nice highway approach shots and inside the ticketing area.
• Alkaline Trio's track 'You're Dead' from the 2001 album From Here To Infirmary includes the line "If assholes could fly, this place would be busier than O'Hare."
• In a classic Looney Tunes cartoon, Bugs Bunny flies on a plane departing from "Oh, Hare! Airport."
• It is part of the title of the Chicago based band The Academy Is...'s single LAX to O'Hare. It is also part of the first line of the song, "It was a plane ride from LAX to O'Hare..."
• In the sixth season of the hit CBS show, The Amazing Race, eleven teams of two began their race at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, where they boarded flights to either Boston, Massachusetts or Baltimore, Maryland and connected to Keflavík, Iceland.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• O'Hare International Airport (official web site)
• O'Hare airport Modernization plan
• O'Hare and other local airports from the Chicagoland Vibary Network
• 41st ward map (official city web site)
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF)
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KORD
  • ASN Accident history for KORD
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KORD
  • FAA current ORD delay information