The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it will implement flight reduction controls at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Many airlines at the airport still plan to add new flights despite widespread flight delays and frequent cancellations, so the FAA introduced this measure.

O'Hare International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States by total flight movements. During the peak summer travel period in 2026, the airport's average daily planned flights will exceed 3,080, an increase of 14.9% compared with the peak summer flight volume in 2025; while in 2025, the airport's flight on-time rate will be only 60%.

This flight control will set the daily flight limit at O'Hare Airport to 2,708 flights, which will not significantly expand the capacity compared with last summer's peak, in order to avoid large-scale flight delays and cancellations. This current limit policy will take effect from May 17, 2026, to end on October 24.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said: "When you buy a ticket to travel, we must ensure that you and your family travel smoothly without suffering endless flight delays and cancellations." He added that the Federal Aviation Administration will refer to its previous mature plan to transform another busy hub airport in the United States to optimize the operation and scheduling of O'Hare Airport.

Duffy said: "Previously, we solved communication failures and overcapacity problems at record speed, and successfully made Newark Liberty International Airport the airport with the highest punctuality rate in the eastern tri-state region of the United States."

He said: "The flight schedule previously formulated by O'Hare Airport was unrealistic and far exceeded its own carrying capacity. Applying this mature strategy here can reduce delays and make this year's busy summer travel smoother."

Duffy added: "Combined with measures such as modernizing and upgrading the air traffic control system and expanding air traffic control personnel, the Trump administration is using all available means to create a safe, efficient and smooth air travel experience for the people."

The FAA mentioned in the announcement that O'Hare Airport's planned daily average peak flight volume is 3,080 flights, 400 flights more than last year.

At present, air traffic control personnel are already facing operating pressure due to tight bridge capacity and continuous closure of taxiways due to construction.

Representatives of major airlines have launched one-on-one consultations with the FAA in an effort to reach a balance between reducing flights at O'Hare Airport and meeting the airline's operational needs.

In addition to limiting the total number of flights, the FAA also stated that it will increase the number of air traffic control personnel, speed up the training of air traffic control personnel, and optimize the layout of routes and airspace around Chicago to further reduce the risk of delays. During high-risk periods such as travel peaks, the frequency of collaborative decision-making meetings (CDM) between the FAA, airlines and airports will also increase.

"Our top priority is to ensure the safety of air passengers, which requires airlines' flight plans to match the safe carrying capacity of the airspace system," said FAA Administrator Brian Bedford.

Bedford added: "We are grateful to all major airlines for their active cooperation in determining a reasonable scale of operations, so as to consolidate operational safety and bring a more stable and reliable travel experience to the American people."