American To Give Up Two O'Hare Gates

April 10, 2014
The gates are likely to be in Terminal 3 on the L concourse, gates L1 and L2a and L2b, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

April 08--American Airlines will give up two gates at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, part of its deal with the U.S. Justice Department to allow a merger with US Airways.

The gates are likely to be in Terminal 3 on the L concourse, gates L1 and L2a and L2b, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

The aviation department "intends to make these gates available to airlines wishing to use them on a common use basis," said department spokeswoman Karen Pride. "The CDA is confident the gates will be put to good use, benefiting O'Hare's many passengers." The CDA does not yet know which airlines might use those gates, she said.

American Airlines' parent at the time, AMR Corp., and US Airways Group concluded their $17 billion merger in December after agreeing to certain divestitures demanded by the Justice Department, which filed an antitrust lawsuit objecting to the combination. The gate divestitures at O'Hare were among the more minor concessions. American has about 70 gates at O'Hare, and an American official has said airline officials are optimistic they can reconfigure existing gates to gain back a gate or two.

The merged airline has maintained a hub at O'Hare, where the airlines had little overlap -- American had a large presence and US Airways a relatively small one.

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