United Plans Record Summer Schedule at Chicago O’Hare, Driving Ramp Activity and Station Growth

United Airlines expects its busiest summer ever at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, planning to operate up to 750 flights per day. The schedule represents the largest operation ever flown by any airline at ORD and is expected to further expand aircraft turns, gate activity, and demand for ground handling services.

Throughout 2026, United plans to offer nonstop service to 222 destinations from Chicago, including 47 international and 175 domestic markets. The airline is adding new four-times-daily Midwest routes to Champaign/Urbana, Illinois; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Lansing, Michigan; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Bloomington/Normal, Illinois. Additional previously announced summer routes include Santa Barbara, Monterey, Eugene, Bristol/Tri-Cities, Erie, Rochester (Minnesota), Wausau, and Marquette.

United is also increasing frequencies to more than 80 existing destinations, including Boston, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas. As the schedule expands, ORD is expected to become the airline’s third-largest hub, reinforcing its role as a major domestic and international gateway.

Operational performance at ORD

United reports leading on-time arrival performance among major carriers at O’Hare in 2025, with significantly lower cancellation rates than its largest competitor at the airport. Last year, the airline averaged 541 daily departures from ORD, operating 31 percent more flights than the next largest carrier and flying more seats from Chicago than at any point in the past two decades.

For summer 2026, United plans to operate more than 370 daily mainline departures, a 20 percent increase over summer 2025, further increasing workload across ramp, baggage, fueling, and maintenance teams.

Hiring to support expanded operations

To support the larger schedule, United plans to hire approximately 2,500 additional employees at ORD before the end of the year. The airline’s Chicago-based workforce has grown to more than 18,000 employees over the past decade, underscoring its long-term investment in station staffing and local operations.

Planning for seasonal traffic peaks

United will also add daily service between Chicago and Guadalajara in June to support large international soccer events. The temporary increase is expected to drive additional seasonal traffic and operational demand at ORD during peak travel periods.