Chicago O’Hare Airport showcases its USD1 billion T5 investment; new 'Global Terminal' to come
For all the criticism made several years ago about America's 'Third World airports', considerable sums of money - many billions of dollars - have been thrown at most of the bigger ones for some time now to completely revamp what were 'good enough for government work' establishments (to coin a phrase from Tom Wolfe).
Counted among them is Chicago's O'Hare airport, once the busiest in the US.
Work that is concluding on Terminal 5 at O'Hare, together with expansion and realignment of its eight-runway system and a promised international terminal that would simplify domestic-international connections, hold out the prospect of the airport reacquiring that label one day.
Strangely, very little of the airport's reincarnation has been funded privately - unlike the situation at New York airports, and some big projects at Los Angeles International. But then again, the 'City' changed its mind on leasing the other airport, Midway, twice, in 2008 and 2013, and an anti-privatisation mindset seems to have stuck ever since.
Become a CAPA Member to access Analysis Reports
Our Analysis Reports are only available to CAPA Members. CAPA Membership provides exclusive access to in-depth insights on the latest developments in the aviation and travel industry, developed by our team of dedicated analysts located in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Each report offers a fresh perspective on the latest industry trends and is available online or via the CAPA mobile app, with customisable alerts to help you stay informed and identify new business opportunities.
CAPA Membership also provides access to our full suite of tools, including a tailored selection of more than 1,000 News Briefs every week and comprehensive data and analysis on thousands of companies around the world.