WASHINGTON, March 6, 2026, 05:50 EST
American Airlines is up against fresh turbulence in Chicago, as the Federal Aviation Administration has asked airlines to slash summer schedules at O’Hare more aggressively than the agency suggested just a week earlier, according to sources speaking with Reuters. The latest request would pull back flying in one of the carrier’s most hotly competitive markets.
Timing is key here: American has staked a big piece of its 2026 turnaround on Chicago. The summer schedule is set to begin March 29, but the FAA is pushing for the airport to handle just about 2,500 flights a day — both arrivals and departures. That’s a cut from the 3,080 flights airlines had planned, and even lower than the 2,800 daily limit floated by the agency last week.
In a notice dated March 3, DOT and FAA warned that the upcoming increase could put pressure on O’Hare’s runways, terminal capacity, and air traffic controls. The agency said it plans to issue a final order once the reduction meeting wraps up. For now, the current summer schedule is slated to continue until Oct. 25.
Back in December, American laid out plans to tack on 100 peak-day departures out of O’Hare, targeting over 75 destinations for the spring break rush. That brings daily flights above 500, putting the airline right back at pre-pandemic volumes. Reuters, just last week, pegged American’s departures at O’Hare climbing from 484 last summer to 526 this year.
This fight is really about gates—the spots at the airport dictating how many flights an airline can push through. Back in January, United Chief Executive Scott Kirby signaled the airline was “drawing a line in the sand,” promising to add “as many flights as are required” to keep American from locking up more gates. But according to Reuters, American warned staff this week that United’s “reckless” scheduling could clog up the airport: longer taxi times, missed connections, and broader headaches. Reuters
Chicago stands out as one of the rare major U.S. airports where two giant network carriers both operate at serious scale. According to Reuters last month, United runs around half the scheduled flights at O’Hare, while American manages about a third. But American’s adjusted pretax profit for 2025 hit just $352 million—far behind Delta’s $5 billion and United’s $4.6 billion.
Analysts caution that a fare war—steep price slashing—might not stay confined to Chicago as network growth ramps up. “If history is any guide, competitive skirmishes are rarely contained,” Melius Research’s Conor Cunningham told Reuters last month. American’s vice chair and chief strategy officer Steve Johnson, for his part, said back in December the airline was still “committed to rebuilding” in Chicago. Reuters
But the FAA standoff isn’t the only thing weighing on the sector. Airline stocks slid Thursday as oil surged, rattled by the Middle East conflict. “We expect March to hit (U.S.) airlines’ profitability due to the unanticipated jump in fuel prices,” Morningstar’s Nicolas Owens told Reuters. Shares of American, Delta and United each ended the session down between 4% and 9%, Reuters said. Reuters
The FAA hasn’t settled on a final number yet, with the agency planning to release an official order following the reduction meeting. If the cap ends up stricter, airlines at O’Hare would face sharper cutbacks right ahead of the key spring and summer travel seasons. A lighter cap, though, would leave American with extra flexibility to keep advancing its Chicago expansion.
American and United aren’t commenting on where negotiations stand, according to Reuters. The FAA has another round lined up next week, just ahead of the summer schedule kicking off on March 29. Whatever comes out of it could decide how much of American’s planned Chicago push actually makes it through the season.
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