American Airlines’ objection to an $8.5 billion capital programme at Chicago O’Hare International airport hinges on three gates that it says the city will not include in the plans.
«We know there’s the ability to add three more [gates] and we’d like three more,» says Doug Parker, chairman and chief executive of the Fort Worth-based carrier, speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit in Washington DC.
Chicago’s plans to increase the number of gates at O’Hare by a quarter, or to roughly 220, under an eight-year capital programme announced on 28 February. The works would replace terminal 2, rebuild terminals 1 and 3, and expand terminal 5, while concourses B and C would be extended and a new satellite built to the west of concourse C.
American told employees the same day that it could not support the works because it would widen the «gate gap» between itself and United Airlines, which operates its largest hub at O’Hare.
That gap would increase by five gates under the plan, Parker says, emphasising that American would be happy with just the three additional gates it is seeking.
United says the five gates in question are in response to the five-gate «stinger» extension to concourse L at O’Hare that American will open in April. It calls the carrier’s objections «disingenuous»…
