CHICAGO'S AIRPORTS CONTINUE TO SOAR

O’Hare, Midway International Airports see strong passenger growth in 2023

Both of Chicago’s airports saw strong year-over-year passenger growth in 2023, with a combined total of more than 95.9 million passengers traveling through O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

Approximately 73.9 million passengers traveled through O’Hare last year, marking an 8.1% increase over 2022. Passenger figures at Midway continued their remarkable climb as well — our Southwest Side airport transported more than 22 million passengers in 2023, a 10.7% increase over the prior year.

O’Hare is expected to continue its robust passenger growth in 2024, with a strong summer travel season on the horizon, based on federal forecasts and advance schedules published by air carriers. The Terminal Area Forecast from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projects 41.5 million enplanements at O’Hare for 2024 and 44.1 million for 2025, compared to 42.2 million enplanements recorded in 2019. The CDA’s internal data shows 36.6 million enplanements at O’Hare in 2023, up 7.3% over the prior year. Enplanements count departing passengers only, while overall passenger figures include both arrivals and departures.

Additionally, at the peak of the summer season in July 2024, scheduled departing seats from O’Hare are expected to be nearly equal to July 2019 levels, off by just 3%. O’Hare will also serve 67 international destinations this July, up from 65 in July 2019.

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HELP KEEP OUR AIRPORTS SAFE!

Now hiring: Aviation Security Officers

The CDA launched a hiring campaign March 18 for at least 85 Aviation Security Officer (ASO) positions at O’Hare and Midway. ASOs play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and security of operations at Chicago’s airports, conducting regular patrols throughout the terminals, grounds and perimeters to maintain a safe and secure environment. The position has a starting salary of $53,340 and includes medical, dental and vision insurance, in addition to paid vacation and sick time. No college degree is required.

Interested jobseekers can learn more and apply at flychicago.com/jobs.

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O'Hare, Midway ready for surge in travelers over spring break

The CDA is prepared to welcome 2.9 million passengers to O'Hare and Midway International Airports between Thursday, March 21 and Monday, April 1 for the historically busy travel period that encompasses Holy Week celebrations, Easter and spring break for Chicago Public Schools, according to preliminary projections from air carriers.

O'Hare is expected to see a 7% increase in passengers from last year's spring break travel period, while Midway is projected to see a 2.4% increase over the same period in 2023, according to data from air carriers.

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WELCOME ABOARD!

Airport Information Ambassadors join O'Hare Customer Engagement team

The CDA is proud to welcome its first 11 Airport Information Ambassadors to the Customer Engagement team at O'Hare! All of the new ambassadors are fluent in at least three languages, including English.

The new hires include individuals who are fluent in Arabic, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian, Dutch, Urdu, Berber, Esperanto and American Sign Language. The CDA looks forward to welcoming the new ambassadors to O'Hare and bringing their language expertise to travelers throughout the terminals.

White House recognizes Narcan program at O'Hare, Midway

The Biden-Harris Administration recognized the CDA’s Narcan program in a fact sheet on March 13 announcing the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide call for stakeholders across all sectors to increase training on and access to opioid overdose reversal medications.

President Biden named beating the opioid crisis a key pillar of his Unity Agenda during his State of the Union Address on March 7.

Narcan is the brand name for naloxone hydrochloride, a nasal spray that is administered to individuals following an overdose of drugs such as heroin, fentanyl and over-the-counter opioid medications.

In February, the CDA announced that Narcan is available in 196 Automated External Defibrillator cabinets throughout O’Hare and 32 at Midway.

Legendary sports memorabilia on display at Harry Caray's at Midway

New display cases at Harry Caray’s Shortstop in Midway’s Concourse A offer passengers at the Southwest Side airport a chance to take a journey through sports history.

The case features an expansive collection of sports memorabilia, including signed balls, baseball bats, collector’s cards and game shirts worn by iconic athletes. Highlights include a shirt worn by Chicago Bears great Walter Payton and a pair of Harry Caray’s signature glasses.

Korean aviation researchers visit O'Hare

The CDA hosted a meeting at O’Hare on Feb. 29 with airport planners from Seongnam, Korea and the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics, facilitated by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago.

The group enjoyed a conversation about off-airport height zoning with CDA staff, as well as a tour of the O’Hare airfield and the City Operations Tower. The CDA welcomes this opportunity to collaborate on industry research with members of the international aviation community.

'Lucky Day at Midway' celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Midway hosted a “Lucky Day at Midway” event March 15 near Reilly’s Daughter in the Central Market to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The event featured live music by Celtic rock band Reilly, as well as green popcorn samples from Nuts on Clark and a chance for passengers to etch their own Guinness glasses.

Celebrating the women of Midway's Motor Truck Driver team

March 8 was International Women’s Day, and the CDA used its social media accounts to spotlight an outstanding group of employees – our Motor Truck Drivers (MTDs) at Midway!

These women employ a unique and advanced skillset every day. On top of having earned their CDLs, they’re trained to navigate the complexity of the airfield safely and efficiently, sometimes in whiteout conditions during Chicago’s infamous winters while simultaneously operating world-class snow removal equipment and maintaining radio contact with dispatchers.

The MTDs play a critical role in keeping Midway running smoothly and getting passengers to their destinations.

CDA granted authority to acquire State-owned property at Midway

The Chicago City Council approved an ordinance on March 20 allowing the CDA to enter into negotiations to acquire the former Army National Guard Midway Armory from the State of Illinois.

The four-acre property at 5400 W. 63rd St. in the Clearing community area is located on the north side of West 63rd Street, completely surrounded by Midway International Airport property, including nearby facilities for cargo, private aviation, and Chicago Fire Department operations.

The approximately 75,000-square-foot structure has remained vacant since 2017 when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations at the base and relocated its unit to Kankakee.

Acquiring the property will allow the CDA to secure that portion of Midway’s perimeter, contributing to the overall safety and security of Midway’s operation. The purchase also allows the CDA to retain control of the land that sits immediately adjacent to Midway property, which will help ensure the property’s uses are compatible with airport operations, particularly since a portion of the property lies within the federally regulated Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) for Midway Runway 4R/22L.

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• Frontier Airlines: Midway (MDW) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI) 3x weekly service starts on April 10
• Frontier Airlines: MDW to San Francisco (SFO) daily seasonal service starts on April 10
• American Airlines: O'Hare (ORD) to Paris, France (CDG) seasonal daily service starts on April 1
• ITA Airways: ORD to Rome (FCO) new 5x weekly service starts on April 7
• Finnair: ORD to Helsinki (HEL) seasonal 5x weekly service starts on April 1
• United Airlines: ORD to Milan (MXP) seasonal daily service starts on April 1