„ The wedge-shaped addition will span 350,000 square feet and provide 10 new gates to increase the terminal’s gate capacity by 25 percent. A further 750,000 square feet within the existing structure is also being remodeled to accommodate expanded security checkpoints, reconfigured immigration and customs, improved baggage handling systems, and space for airline lounges, concessions, and other passenger amenities.
Although T5 is primarily currently used by overseas carriers, the renovation will allow it to handle both international and domestic flights. Delta Airlines is expected to make the move to Terminal 5 from its current location at Terminal 2 once the project is complete. Construction should wrap up near the end of 2021 and welcome passengers in 2022. “
„ Meanwhile, planning is still underway for the Jeanne Gang-designed “Global Terminal,” set to span 2.2 million square feet. This massive next stage is anticipated to break ground in 2023 and open in 2028.“
"CHICAGO O’HARE was once the world’s busiest airport. It held that title for three decades and became one of the great American infrastructure projects of the early Jet Age.
But in recent years it’s hit a bit of turbulence. Though it still attracts more than 80 million passengers in a normal year, most of those people probably don’t have this down as their favourite place to fly from.
Delays, congestion and a lack of amenities are common complaints and since the late 1990s the place has begun to feel more than a bit … tired.
But that’s all about to change as O’Hare embarks on a multi-billion-dollar transformation, a megaproject that’ll give this aviation landmark a much-needed lift." Article continues…
Inside Chicago O’Hare Airport’s $8.5 billion revamp
Quote:
(CNN) — The city of Chicago has long had one of the world’s busiest airport systems.
Before the Jet Age and until the late 1950s, Chicago Midway Airport, in the southwest of the city, was the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic.
Its runways, however, were too short for early jet aircraft, and in the span of just a couple of years all flights migrated to O’Hare, in the northwest, which had longer runways and newly built terminals.
The move made O’Hare take over as the world’s busiest airport in 1962, a title it held for over 25 years. The high volume of passengers, however, came at a cost: the airport became notoriously congested.
Penalized by the city’s unpredictable weather, the runway configuration that attracted jet aircraft didn’t stand the test of time.
By the time O’Hare definitively lost the crown of world’s busiest airport – to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson in 1998 – it was famously overcrowded and losing ground on most performance rankings, often ranking low for customer satisfaction.
The only way forward was a radical modernization of the runway system, which began in 2005 and cost $6 billion. Work was completed in 2021, drastically reducing delays and paving the way for a complete makeover of the rest of the airport – with an additional $8.5 billion investment – that will transform it “from curb to gate,” the city says (and maybe climb back up those rankings).
Beginning Oct. 12, Delta customers traveling through Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) will be welcomed at the airline’s new home in Terminal 5. The spacious terminal, enhanced by a $50 million investment by Delta, comes equipped with modernized digital tools to expedite the check-in process and boasts a dazzling new 22,000-plus-square-foot Delta Sky Club—more premium space for customers to relax and recharge before flights.
Overall, this looks like a big upgrade for Delta’s operations out of ORD, especially considering that ORD isn’t a hub or even focus city for Delta! I wonder if Delta would consider adding more destinations from ORD now that they have more gate space.|
