The main problem with the original max was the single sensor, if it failed you had to turn the auto pilot off and hand fly the aircraft. US majors mainline crews had no issue and understood that although they did not like the fact that Boeing did not highlight that enough in the training. The Ethiopian 737 crew did turn the auto pilot off but turned it back on. The main issue with that crash was a bird strike damaged the Pitot tube causing incorrect readings to MCAS. The crews in both crashes were trained to mainly fly with Auto Pilot on and they would do almost everything in their power to do that. That mentality helped cause both crashes as if they had turned the auto pilot off the MCAS would have been disabled, although Boeing did not highlight enough in training how important that could be. The software did have alot of small issues that were found but turning off the auto pilot and keeping it off when a sensor failed would have saved both flights.

T5 in 2023+
 

What happens in T5 once Delta moves in, Southwest is operating at their current level, or even a little expanded, but before the rest of the T2 construction is complete? T5 will be a madhouse, and for several years international flights won’t be able to be expanded at O’Hare because T5 will be so limited with space. This will be an issue for 5 years assuming the new T2 is operational in 2028 (its Chicago, we know it won’t). I would expect demand at O’Hare to be higher in 2023 and 24 (pre-Covid levels), many of the airlines have said most of their fleet will be coming back online this summer.

I think they are going to construct the two new satellite terminals before they tear down the old terminal 2 building. That's a lot of gates. I think the new Global Terminal is only going to have 11 or 12 gates or something like that, so most of the new gates--for the non-wide body aircraft--will be in the satellites.

Yes. Once the Terminal 5 expansion completes (hopefully this year like originally scheduled), Delta will move there and the Global Terminal satellite concourses will later be built while Terminal 2 is demolished. The satellite concourse furthest west will be narrow body gates, and the satellite concourse being built south of United's satellite concourse will have wide body gates. Then once the satellite concourses are complete, construction for the Global terminal should start. SOM (which is designing the satellite concourses) has yet to release public renderings of them, so hopefully they will soon!

So Delta won’t move into T5 until the satellite concourses are finished? I thought I read that Delta will move once the T5 expansion is complete. There is no way the T5 expansion will finish this year. By the looks of it, I think the earliest would be at the end of 2022. Maybe they’ll time it to open up with the updated people mover...

I’m surprised they still have not started work on the satellite terminals if they plan to start construction before they tear down T2.

No, Delta moves to T5 once the expansion completes. I was saying that after Delta moves to T5, the satellite concourses will be constructed and T2 will be demolished.

Also, I'm surprised everyone thinks T5 won't open till late 2022. This broke ground back in 2019, and interior build out permits have apparently been issued. And doesn't the construction progress go pretty quick once the framework is progressing, or am I missing something?

Exactly, which is why T5 will be awful for 3 plus years. There won’t be much int’l expansion sadly. My timing is based solely on visual progress and the history of all public expansion projects at ORD. The east side of the terminal is far from being enclosed. Here is a picture from about a month ago. Maybe Delta would move in before the east side is complete?

This was posted from Chicago29 from last month.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eww3vL5W...jpg&name=small

IATA article on the growth of US cargo hubs including Rockford. Have noticed a big increase in widebody cargo aircraft at the airport with alot more planned with the construction of the new cargo terminals.

https://www.iatanews.com/2021/04/05/...-hub-airports/

No, you did not missing anything. Delta will moves to T5. Once the construction is completed in late 2022 or early 2023 during at that time. I think Delta will take 5 or 6 gates at entire T5. WN, F9, and a few other airlines will stay at T5. I think Spirit will moves to T5. I am not quite sure if they relocated to T5.

Old T2 will demolishing later in a few years or so. They will reconstruction new Global Terminal, new customs & Immigration and new satellite concourse, as well. They won't be at T5 anymore. Both UA and AA will be at T2 for international arrivals. They won't be at entire T5 anymore. They won't be towed back to T1 or T3.

I was saying that I am confused that everyone is saying that the T5 expansion won't be complete until 2022 when it was scheduled to be complete in 2021. I thought that once the frameworking begins, then that combined with the fact that interior built out permits had been issued would mean that the rest of the project would move rather quickly from here and open later this year. I also saw on Google Flights that Delta was going to bring in some bigger planes like the A321 to ORD later this year, and I thought that might be a sign for them moving to T5 because they currently don't have many gates that support bigger planes like the A321, but everyone seems to say I'm wrong. I'm not saying that I'm right, I just am confused. Maybe I just don't understand how the construction process works.

Also, this image that I shared earlier shows which gates Delta is getting:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8b41b2c2_h.jpg

Delta is getting the gates with the orange plane outlines (8-9 gates).

Delta has put A321's on their old gates many times. They even put a 767-300 on the old gates for several months last year. The 777-200 and A330 cargo flights always went to Delta cargo. That contract has been cancelled. Delta is a non starter and a who cares at Chicago unless they change their business model here.

By the way, Spirit's next move will not be to T5.

Are there any plans or renderings of the inside of the purple and red areas of the picture? I am curious to know what is going in there in addition to the customary restaurants, stores and shops. Is Delta building a new club for Sky Team? What other airlines have plans to build any clubs in T5 (Qatar, Emirates, Etihad)? Every time I have flown out of T5, I was so unimpressed by the business class lounges with maybe the exception of British Airways (I have not used that club in about 5 years so maybe it's not as good as i remember...)

Yes, Delta is building a new lounge for themselves and SkyTeam in the expansion.

Here are some renderings of the expansion:

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N-zt...rminal_5.0.jpg

https://304ljw4amcep3ali496xph6b-wpe...00-800x535.jpg

https://304ljw4amcep3ali496xph6b-wpe...00-800x535.jpg

https://304ljw4amcep3ali496xph6b-wpe...00-800x535.jpg

I couldn't find any layouts/renderings for what will go in the purple section.

I do know that Delta is building a 22,500 square foot skyclub in Terminal 5, and I think this will go in the purple section:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...31bc0c15_b.jpg

And as far as other airlines go, All Oneworld/Star alliance airlines will be in the new Global Terminal, so they probably will have lounges there. Skyteam airlines will operate out of T5, so they will probably have new lounges here. As far as unaffiliated airlines go (like Emirates, Etihad), I don't know if they will operate out of T5 or the Global Terminal.

On a side note, Gates M11 (existing) and M20 (part of expansion) will both be A380 capable gates, so I wonder if Korean Air (Skyteam) would use one of them, and if another A380 operator will use the other. Global Terminal will also add some A380 gates so hopefully more airlines consider the A380 here in the future when demand recovers. Some airlines have committed to hold on to them, so I don't think it's completely out of the question.

Sexy renderings!!!! Thanks for sharing!

Do you this means Spirit Airlines will stay at entire T3 concourse L gates? They won’t be at T5. Do they think will keep more than 6 gates at the end of the concourse L?

No, yes and no.

Thanks. I would think the new Delta lounge will also be a SkyTeam lounge. I read the non-affiliated alliance int’l carriers will remain in T5. My money is that Emirates might build their own lounge there. I would love to see more A380s at ORD, but the world has changed since they planned the ORD21 project. I just can’t see Korean, Emirates, or even BA fly them to ORD. Sadly it’s 2-engine world.

https://www.igcinc.org/wp-content/up...-30-200904.pdf

This document might help understand the construction schedule for terminal 5.

Eastern Airlines Launches Transatlantic Flights From Chicago to Sarajevo

America’s Eastern Airlines is launching its first-ever route to Europe this summer. It will inaugurate flights from Chicago to Sarajevo. This will be the first time that Bosnia and Herzegovina will have a direct connection to the United States and the first time Eastern will operate flights out of O’Hare International Airport.

Starting on 28th May and ending on 5th September this year, Eastern Airlines will operate a single weekly flight between Chicago and Sarajevo that departs on Fridays and returns on Sundays. The schedule indicates that the same crew will be operating both legs of this rotation.

Tickets for this route are already on sale, and the schedule is as follows:

- Flight 2D972 will leave Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at 19:05 on Fridays to arrive at Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) on Saturdays at 11:05.

- Flight 2D973 will leave Sarajevo at 08:00 on Sundays to arrive in Chicago the same day at 12:00 (mid-day).

https://simpleflying.com/eastern-air...flight-launch/

Eastern is such a weird carrier. Mostly focused on USA-LatAm service, but hey! let's add a route to Sarajevo just for kicks, even though they have no other transatlantic service.

Wait, eastern airlines is still a thing???

I thought they went under decades ago.

^ That's what I thought too, but apparently their brand assets were purchased by investors to slap onto a different bush-league airline, not once but twice. The Eastern that will serve O'Hare is the third incarnation.

I think the Chicago area has a pretty large south Slav population of Croats and Serbians in particular so I guess it isn't too surprising.

For my travel wants, I would think that a destination such as Split Croatia would be a lot more interesting. It seems the Croatian coast has popped up a lot more on travel radars the last few years from what I've heard.

Game of Thrones effect, beautiful coastline towns and a nice swim in the Adriatic.

I think this is some kind of special deal made between the Bosnia and US government. Yes Chicago has a large population of people from that area, I understand the second largest in the world. This might happen based on that fact. Other European international destinations might not be as easy as foot dragging will continue when it comes to opening borders this summer.

As far as Eastern is concerned, I think this is the 3rd US airline to use this name in the last 50 years. The first was ofcourse run into the ground by Mr. Lorenzo when he was also running Continental. You won't hear to much about that on the history of United Airlines on their website :).

They did!! More than three decades ago. And now, they reborn! New Eastern Airlines. Came from Miami base.

Just happened to see this:

All systems go on I-490, the toll road that could change O'Hare access and suburban driving

https://www.dailyherald.com/storyima...&noborder&Q=80

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/202...burban-driving

I wonder if this is part of the long term plan for way in the future to build the Western Terminal.

Youtube video of ATS under testing at O'Hare
• Video Link

Thanks for sharing this! Hope they open it up soon. Fingers crossed!

https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/...hare-to-r.html


United adds nonstop flights from O'Hare to Reykjavik, Iceland


By Ben Miller
– Staff Reporter,

Apr 19, 2021


United Airlines said it will become the first U.S. airline to fly nonstop from Chicago to Iceland when it begins flying from O'Hare International Airport to Reykjavic beginning July 1.

The Chicago-based carrier (Nasdaq: UAL) announced the new international flight on Monday,....




United said it will fly from Chicago to Iceland using a Boeing 757-200 airplane and flights will operate daily through October 3.

"As countries around the world begin the process of reopening, leisure travelers are eager to take a long-awaited getaway to new international destinations,” said Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network and alliances for United, in a statement.

Also at O'Hare, United said it will resume service to Tel Aviv, Israel, with Chicago service resuming three times weekly on May 7. In May, United also said it will resume service from Chicago to Munich, Amsterdam, and Tokyo Haneda.


...

FYI:

https://www.iatanews.com/2021/04/20/...-of-countries/

United Airlines Looks At Bringing Back Seatback Screens
 

I know this isn't specific to Chicago, but given United is headquartered there, I thought it would be fitting to post this.

United Airlines Looks At Bringing Back Seatback Screens

https://simpleflying.com/wp-content/...3-1000x666.jpg

https://simpleflying.com/united-seat...creens-return/

What are your thoughts on this? Do you like having ife screens onboard, or are you fine with the stream to your device? Personally, I like the ife screens.

yeah I like keeping the map on the IFE screens.

I do recall some of the United flights had screens, but they had DirectTV you could pay for during the duration of the flight. That was a kinda a cool, different option, but in general, I like having the screens.

This really makes me miss Virgin America.... Mostly because they had nice screens AND you could just order everything on the screen and slide your card. That was really convenient as you didn't have to wait for the "cart" to make it to your row.

More cargo flights into RFD, but not just diverted from ORD. This article is overblown as ORD is not as bad as they make it out to be 80 % of the time. The mainly off airport sites at Global CFS customs seem to have long lines of trucks offsite waiting at their warehouse. RFD is not under used at night and will have the same problems offsite as fast as ORD did at heavy traffic times. Having said that it's good to see RFD grow, and they are taking from other midwestern hubs more than ORD.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fe...-ohare-airport

At Eastern Airlines, world conquest is part of our master plan!

• Video Link

I'm taking my first United flight - since last February - in a few weeks (have been "commuting" between Chicago and deep south Texas for the last year using American due to a preferable timetable due to the covid schedule adjustments). . . anyhow I'm being told that the flight is on a 737-MAX plane between Chicago and Houston. . . that's all. . .

. . .

I just flew on a United Airlines 737-MAX between Chicago and Denver a few weeks ago and enjoyed the experience very much! You'll enjoy the upgrade!

Air Canada has started using 737 Max's on the ORD-YYZ flights. So we have AA to MIA, UA to DEN and IAH and now Air Canada. Southwest also has Max's at MDW and I am sure soon at ORD.

Yeah, I did notice an Air Canada 737 Max coming in to ORD on Flightradar24. So I guess they've slowly been increasing capacity because it used to be E-175s, then A220s, and now the 737 Max?

Yep, along with the cargo 777's and 787's that come in whenever they feel like it from MAD, YVR and YYZ.

O’Hare 21 Project Launches Largest Concessions Offering In A Decade With The Issuance Of RFP For 10 Locations

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/dept...l/4232021.html

What are some concessions that would you like to see added at O'Hare? I think Chick-fil-A should be one of them because it's pretty popular and I was surprised to see that there isn't a single one at O'Hare.

‘Critical moment’ for $8.7B O’Hare Airport expansion project

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-ha...ite-concourses

According to this, the first satellite concourse will be completed in 2024, and the second satellite concourse will be completed in 2025.

Still no renderings though for SOM's satellite concourses. This is what their global terminal design looked like, so I assume they would look similar to this:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9f731d7f_c.jpg

I miss Eastern Airlines...They were a great carrier. Of course this was back in the days when you could have people meet you at the gate and smoking was still allowed on flights (my grandfather would be rather upset that he couldn't smoke on flights nowadays).

I'm sure O'Hare would prefer to lease the space to a vendor willing to be open all seven days that the airport operates.

Portillos!!!!!

Seriously, I'm shocked O'Hare doesn't have one.....

yeah, a portillo's at ORD could print its own money.

I heard Popeyes also wanted to open a spot at ORD but decided the leases were way to expensive.