If anyone in this forum has any connections with any member of the Chicago Dept of Aviation, I STRONGLY encourage them to plant an idea of a design competition for all of this new work (if it hasn't been considered already). And not just for the new Global terminal, but a master plan for everything, in order to provide a more unified vision, instead of the choppy, piecemeal design of the airport's current configuration.

It's a shame that the city just plowed hundreds of millions into a top-flight arrival/departure zone with world-class design (Werner Sobek). This renovation is by no means obsolete or outdated, and the minimalist design gels nicely with the original 1960s airport designs by Perkins + Will and CF Murphy and the 1990s additions by Helmut Jahn. It is easily in the top tier of US airport design, but didn't get a lot of recognition due to the small scope (it wasn't a whole terminal) and due to a disputed construction process.

Obviously the terminals need expansion, but IMO the new terminal should only touch the concourses, and leave the arrival/departure area as-is. Would be a good way to save money, too.

Strange that they would essentially obliterate T3 and leave such a large space there that could house at least one pier. Maybe they don't want to because it wouldn't line up with the rest of the satellite terminals? Seems like a real lack of vision of what could be done with integrating T5 into the Core.

YOU FOOL! THIS ISNT EVEN MY FINAL FORM

- O Hare Airport

Hey, hey, hey! Chill! Be nice!

..

Very interesting tidbit while looking through that 2,000 page O'hare guide released last week.

Seems like the eventual idea will be to demolish concourse K/H/L and just have it be a Multiple Aircraft Ramp System (whatever that is).

Between the runway reconfiguration, terminal redevelopment, and O'Hare express train, O'Hare will have received upwards of $20 billion in infrastructure improvements since 2005. That is assuming the express train becomes a reality. (still a bit iffy on that actually happening)

I'm not against the idea of the O'Hare Express if funded and managed privately, but I do think it was foolish to limit the field to only one conventional rail proposal. Unless there was something seriously wrong with the other two bidders that were eliminated, I think at least one of those proposals should have been invited to participate in the RFP. Now we will only have one conventional rail proposal, with no way to benchmark its cost, and one gadgetbahn proposal, again with no way to benchmark its cost.

Also, Elon Musk has not yet demonstrated how he plans to bring the cost of tunneling down. So far, all we've seen are suggestions that the tunnel diameter could be reduced, which reduces the size/cost of tunnel-boring machines and reduces the amount of soil that needs removal. The biggest potential savings come from using non-union labor, but that will most definitely be a flashpoint for critics of the project.

Hopefully this whole plan will get approved and the construction can start sooner than later...

I didn't read the whole report. I have a couple of questions:
1) Will the entire C concourse be demolited in the end? I know they are going to get rid of the south portion with the new satellite extension and then they'll continue the construction northward, but will it ever replace all of C? I just assumed they'd do this to help with taxing between B and C, but I didn't see any images with all of C being gone.
2) American's passengers are going to have a longer commute with H/K being destroyed if they have to solely use the satellite terminals and the "stinger" gates. Imagine arriving in the new satellite 2 with a 60 minute connection to a stinger gate?

O'Hare expansion plan passes another test From Crains

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/...20180326145209

So really no major issues, surely will be approved this month by the full city council.

Air New Zealand going to do AKL-ORD 3-5 times a week starting in November.

Quantas possibly/probably to announce directs to Brisbane.

^ crazy!

that's gotta be like a 16 hour flight or something. holy crap.

Yep - around 16 hours. It's about 300 miles further than to Hong Kong.

This will also make ORD the only city in the Western Hemisphere to have non-stop service to all 6 inhabited continents. Houston currently holds that distinction but loses it tomorrow as their scheduled service to Africa ends. Ethiopian and Air New Zealand both starting service will make ORD the only one. Globally only Johannesburg, Doha, Dubai, and London touch all continents. (London only just joined the list this week with LHR-PER starting)

http://kngkyle.com/uploads/182404.png

Those 787-9's are making the amazing possible. By the way, Lufthansa started A350 flights to ORD last week along with the 787 Chicago-London Norwegian Airlines flights.


Here is the list of the top 10 international cities for North America showing international pax only in 2017. Chicago is below their weight class. That will change as they get more long range wide body aircraft and airport improvements online

1. JFK 32.4 million
2. YYZ 29.6 million
3. LAX 24.8 million
4. MIA 21.5 million
5. CUN 15.79 million
6. MEX 15.75 million
7. PTY 15.6 million
8. SFO 13.4 million
9. EWR 12.9 million
10. ORD 12.46 million

Awesome! I just thinking about this. Hopefully they will be final approved from city council.

Wow, great news! I was hoping UA to start ORD-TLV. We shall see what happen.

Yes, really! It's a very long flight. You will be very extremely tired. You need to do exercise during the flight and you must to do stretched your legs.

Actually...LAX, JFK, and Toronto Pearson go to all 6 continents also.

Nope, LAX is missing Africa. JFK and YYZ are missing Oceania.

Thing is, the plane has to stay in the air the whole time. Until getting to the continent. Pilot's feet touch the ground, you're out. Like when Qantas's JFK flight refuels at LAX both ways.

Listing only US cities is fine, but a continent-wide list is basically useless, since probably 99% of all air traffic at PTY is international, for example. Canadian cities also get this artificial steroid effect with their traffic to the US.

I thought it would be years until this finally happened. Fantastic.

Although, it would seem very possible Houston could regain an Africa route soon (maybe even before ORD gets AKL in November), given demand from the greater oil industry. But are there really no South American cities with Asia flights (or at least among cities that also have Europe flights)?