WORLD-CLASS AMENITIES

Mayor Johnson celebrates grand opening of The Club MDW

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) joined Midway Partnership and concessions partners Sept. 25 to celebrate the grand opening of The Club MDW, the first shared-use lounge in the 96-year history of Midway International Airport.

Located near Gate B1 in the recently renovated Central Market, The Club MDW offers travelers a relaxing, comfortable environment with enhanced amenities that include complimentary refreshments, a variety of seating options and workspaces equipped with charging stations. The Club MDW will employ approximately 50 full-time employees.

The lounge — one in The Club’s growing network — is available to all travelers, regardless of airline or class of service, through the purchase of a $50 day pass or with membership in various lounge networks, including Priority Pass, the world’s largest independent airport lounge program, and LoungeKey.

In addition to Midway Partnership’s ongoing volunteering efforts at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Airport Dimensions and Hyde Park Hospitality made a $10,000 donation at the grand opening event.

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OPEN YOUR BUSINESS AT O'HARE!

Bids now open for 112 new concessions at O'Hare

Mayor Johnson and the CDA on Sept. 5 announced one of the largest concessions bid opportunities in the history of U.S. airports. The bids are for more than 100 new concession locations at Terminals 1 and 3 at O'Hare International Airport, as part of ongoing efforts to update and modernize O'Hare's terminal core.

The ORDerUp! RFP packages offered include opportunities for 112 individual concession locations — 75 food and beverage, 34 retail and three duty-free locations — totaling more than 146,000 square feet of commercial real estate in Terminals 1 and 3. Of the available concessions space, 10% is reserved exclusively for small businesses, with additional incentives to encourage participation by small, diverse business owners in the remaining opportunities. The largest packages also include a commitment to operate an incubator program at four prime airport locations, which will enable small first-time businesses to enter the airport business environment. The City of Chicago has established an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation target of 32% for the concession packages covered by this RFP.

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Chicago Architecture Center hosts talk on Satellite Concourse 1 design

The Chicago Architecture Center hosted a panel discussion Sept. 20 regarding the design of Satellite Concourse 1 at O'Hare, a major component of the O’Hare 21 Terminal Area Plan.

Participating in the presentation were key members of the concourse's design team, including Ryan Culligan of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Barrett Peterson of Ross Barney Architects and Juan Gabriel Moreno of JGMA.

Watch the full panel discussion

Official Aviation Guide ranks O'Hare #1 in the U.S. for connectivity

O'Hare has been named the most-connected airport in the U.S. by the Official Aviation Guide's (OAG) 2024 Megahubs Index. The annual ranking, which assesses global airports based on the strength of their international and domestic flight connections, places O'Hare at #1 in the U.S. and #9 globally.

In addition, Midway was also ranked among the top U.S. airports for connectivity at 22nd, ahead of Dallas Love Field and just behind New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, further highlighting the city's unrivaled position in the aviation industry.

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CDA provides 'State of the Airports' update to global business travel group

CDA Chief Commercial Officer Amber Ritter joined Choose Chicago Senior Economist David Czechowski Sept. 16 to discuss the health of the city and its airports at the State of Chicago Travel & Modern Travel Transformation meeting, hosted by the Chicago Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

GBTA members learned about completed projects at O’Hare and Midway and gained insight into projects currently in the queue for the department. The advancements in place for the city’s airports will help Chicago remain a top leader in business travel.

Midway parking garage capacity temporarily reduced for repairs

Repair and maintenance work underway at Midway’s Terminal Parking Garage has temporarily reduced the number of available spaces at the facility, which is adjacent to the airport terminal.

Over the next several weeks, various floors will be closed or have limited access on a rotating basis. At least two floors of the six-floor garage will be available 24/7. Of the garage’s 2,500 spaces, at least 700 spaces will be available throughout the project.

Airport visitors can still park at the garage during ongoing construction, though only short-term parking is recommended during construction. Passengers seeking daily parking should strongly consider the Economy Park Lot and Economy Parking Garage at 5050 W. 55th St. Construction is expected to be completed in November, prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

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New O'Hare Motor Truck Drivers graduate ahead of snow season

A new class of 34 full-time O’Hare Advanced Airfield Motor Truck Drivers (MTDs) were honored at a graduation ceremony Sept. 12 at the Airport Maintenance Complex. Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee attended the ceremony to deliver remarks and personally congratulate this year’s new MTDs. 

The new graduates underwent training that included airfield geometry, proper communication with Air Traffic Controllers, aircraft under tow procedures, emergency response procedures and other instruction pertaining to their daily job duties.

MTDs play a critical role in keeping the airport operating smoothly and getting passengers to their destinations safe and sound. The CDA congratulates the new full-time MTDs for their achievements and looks forward to the wonderful contributions they will make at Chicago's airports.

O'Hare shortlisted for USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

O’Hare earned three spots on the shortlist for the 2024 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, scoring nominations in the categories of Best Large Airport, Best Airport Dining and Best Airport Shopping. Voting closed Sept. 23 and winners are expected to be announced Oct. 2.

TEST YOUR STRENGTH FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Register for the 2024 O'Hare Plane Pull

Registration is open for the 2024 Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Plane Pull, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 5 at O’Hare. Teams will test their strength in the ultimate tug-of-war competition, vying to be the group that pills a 95,000-pound aircraft 12 feet in the shortest amount of time. The event raises funds to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.

Teams can register in four divisions: Open, Public Safety, Fitness and High School, with an additional division for employees of United Airlines, which is sponsoring the event.

Register or donate

American Airlines announces Madrid service at O'Hare

Earlier this month, American Airlines announced its first-ever nonstop service from O’Hare to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) in the Spanish capital. The daily service starts March 30, 2025.

• Allegiant Air: Midway (MDW) to Punta Gorda, Florida (PGD) 2x weekly service starts Oct. 3.
• Allegiant Air: MDW to Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS) 2x weekly service starts Oct. 12.
• Aeromexico: O'Hare (ORD) to Guadelajara, Mexico (GDL) daily seasonal service starts Oct. 27.
• American Airlines: ORD to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) 5x weekly seasonal service starts Oct. 7.
• Avianca: ORD to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG) daily service starts Oct. 27.
• Contour Airlines: ORD to Cape Girardeau, Missouri (GCI) 2x daily service starts Oct. 1.
• United Airlines: ORD to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) daily seasonal service starts Oct. 27.