Chicago O'Hare International Airport: major domestic hub but lacking appropriate international clout

Once regarded as the second city of the United States, Chicago slipped behind Los Angeles a couple of decades ago, but it still has terrific economic clout, largely as the centre of the mid-west industrial belt that the U.S. President has set out to “save”. It has always historically been a rail and road intersection, and in Chicagi O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – one of two airports in the city – it has one of the nation’s major air hubs; one that underwent a sudden spurt of passenger numbers growth in 2015.

ORD has witnessed huge investment in infrastructure that will conclude by 2020. As a domestic hub, it represents to the north of the U.S. what Atlanta is to the south, but internationally its scope could be improved further.

This report examines present day and future growth trends at LAX, local airport statistics, how it matches up to other airports across a range of metrics, at construction activities, and at its ownership.