A cap on the number of flights into O'Hare International Airport that was to expire next month will likely be extended until Oct. 28, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday.

If the tentative decision stands, it would mark the second time the FAA has extended the 2004 restrictions. When the restrictions were set to expire last October, they were extended until April 1.

According to the FAA, if the restrictions were lifted it is likely congestion-related delays at O'Hare - the most delay prone of the nation's 31 busiest airports when the restrictions were put in place - would return.

FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said the restrictions have reduced the number of delayed flights by as much as 30 percent.

Under the restrictions, American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, agreed to cut 37 daily peak-hour flights. In addition, domestic airlines are limited to a combined 88 arrivals per hour between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., down from more than 120 an hour.

Molinaro said the FAA was soliciting comments from the airlines and others by March 22 and would decide if it would extend the restrictions a short time later. The FAA, he said, is also reviewing a proposal to extend the restrictions through April 2008.

United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said the airline agrees that extending the restrictions is an "appropriate short-term solution to improving O'Hare's reliability."

American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said that the extension did not come as a surprise and that the carrier was comfortable with it.

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.