SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON HEATS UP

Chicago's airports prepared to welcome 1.49 million passengers over busy Fourth of July travel weekend

Summer travel is in full swing at O’Hare and Midway International Airports, as both hubs are prepared to welcome more than 1.49 million passengers between Friday, June 30 and Wednesday, July 5, based on airline projections.

When compared to the same weekend in 2022, those figures represent a slight increase in passenger traffic of 2.4% at Midway, and a slight decrease in traffic of 1.7% at O’Hare. The busiest travel day at O’Hare is projected to be Friday, June 30, when the airport is projected to welcome about 231,000 passengers. At Midway, the busiest travel day is projected to be Saturday, July 1, when the airport will process about 58,000 passengers.

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FRESH EATS COMING TO MDW

New concessions cleared for landing at Midway this fall

More than a dozen new food, beverage and retail concessions are on track to open in phases through the fall at Midway, featuring a mix of new and existing brands with diverse ownership teams. 

Construction on the following food and beverage locations is underway, with locations opening or re-opening in phases this fall: 

• Garrett Popcorn Shops, near Gate B14 
• Connie’s Pizza, Central Market 
• America’s Dog and Burger, Central Market 
• White Sox Bar and Grill, Central Market 
• M Burger, Central Market 
• Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Central Market 
• Dunkin’, Central Market 
• Reilly’s Daughter, Central Market 

Construction on the following retail locations is underway, with locations opening in phases this summer and fall: 

• Hudson, near Gate B9 
• Evolve, Central Market 
• Tumi, Central Market 
• MAC/Jo Malone, Central Market 
• Southside News, near Gate A11 
• Atrium, near Gate A5 

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Welcome, Mr. President

O'Hare International Airport welcomed President Joe Biden to Chicago on a smoky Wednesday morning this week. Check out footage of Air Force One's arrival.

Fun fact: in 1962, President John F. Kennedy became the first American leader to fly in a jet specifically built for presidential use — a modified Boeing 707. A year later, he would use that same plane to visit Chicago to dedicate O'Hare on March 23, 1963!

KEEPING THE SUPPLY CHAIN MOVING

Air France Cargo warehouse bolsters O'Hare freight operations

The CDA joined Air France KLM Martinair Cargo this week to unveil the carrier’s newly renovated cargo warehouse on O’Hare’s South Airfield. The renovations expanded the warehouse’s capacity to handle specialized cargo. Energy-efficient improvements like LED lighting and electric forklifts also reduced the facility’s energy consumption while maintaining its operational efficiency.

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SAVOR THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER

'Chi on the Fly' series brings summer music fests to Chicago's airports

The CDA launched its “Chi on the Fly” summer entertainment series June 2 at O’Hare and Midway, providing travelers a taste of the music and culture Chicago has to offer throughout the busy summer travel season.  

The department is proud to present a diverse lineup of entertainers during some of the busiest travel weekends of the year to showcase the kinds of local talent and events that make Chicago a global entertainment destination.

Many of the acts performing at the airports this summer are scheduled to coincide with and highlight music festivals and other events happening in Chicago throughout the season, so travelers can get a taste of the city’s cultural offerings even if they’re only passing through for a connecting flight. 

The first month’s highlights included the sounds of the Chicago Gospel Music Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, and the Chicago House Music Festival throughout both airports.

See the season's lineup

INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION

O'Hare welcomes this year's United Summer Associates

CDA Deputy Commissioner for Government and Policy Thyatiria Towns spoke at a welcome event June 6 for United Airlines' newest batch of Summer Associates. The 25 students come from various universities around Chicagoland and the surrounding region, majoring in everything from pre-med to aviation management.

The CDA is dedicated to building an interest in the aviation field in young people who will be the next generation of airport professionals through year-round outreach.

Learn more about youth engagement at the airports

Air Serbia increases ORD-Belgrade service weeks after launch

On June 12, less than a month after launching service between Chicago and Belgrade for the first time in 31 years, Air Serbia increased its O’Hare flights to three times a week!

More than 350,000 Chicagoland residents are of Serbian origin, and the O'Hare team is thrilled to provide them with this service again.

Take a look at the work that went into reconnecting these two sister cities.

HONORING OUR HISTORY

Remembering the Battle of Midway

This month marked the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Midway, in honor of which Chicago Municipal Airport was renamed in 1949. It is one of the most important battles in the history of naval warfare.

On June 4, 1942, Japanese forces bombed the U.S. naval base at Midway. The U.S. Pacific Fleet was prepared thanks to Navy code breakers intercepting plans for the attack, and quickly ambushed the Japanese fleet with an aerial bombing campaign. The battle lasted two days, with the critical U.S. victory halting Japanese expansion in the Pacific and turning the tide of the war.

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless Dive-Bombers played a decisive role in the victory. A fully-restored Dauntless is on display above the entrance to Concourse A to commemorate the important battle that gave Chicago’s first airport its name.

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Celebrating freedom on Juneteenth

CDA staff hosted a series of team-building lunches this month to celebrate Juneteenth ahead of the holiday weekend. Staff enjoyed a generous spread consisting of rib tips, sausages, rice, cornbread muffins, cabbage, potato salad and more!

• Aeromexico: ORD to Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL) 3x weekly service increases to daily on July 1                       
• American Airlines: ORD to Columbia, SC (CAE) 1x daily service begins on July 5
• Southwest Airlines: MDW to San Francisco (SFO) 1x weekly, seasonal service starts July 15
• COPA Airlines: ORD to Panama City, PA (PTY) 1x daily service increases to 10x weekly on July 1
• Korean Airlines: ORD to Seoul, South Korea (ICN) 5x weekly service grows to 1x daily on July 3
• TAP Air Portugal: ORD to Lisbon, Portugal (LIS) 4x weekly service increases to 5x weekly on July 6
• Allegiant Air: MDW to Provo, Utah (PVU) 2x weekly service started on June 16
• Porter Airlines: MDW to Toronto, Canada (YTZ) 2x daily service increased to 3x daily on June 30