Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Near Pre-Pandemic Travel as Airlines Fight for Gates

Travel through Chicago’s main airport is close to exceeding pre-pandemic levels, shedding a light on a battle for gates between United Airlines Holdings Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc.

Traffic at O’Hare International Airport climbed to a record in July, when more than 8.2 million people landed in or departed Chicago, the city’s Department of Aviation said on Wednesday. The number of passengers surged more than 6% in the first seven months of 2025 from a year earlier, and traffic will soon exceed 2019 levels, according to Joseph Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University.