The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that it would limit daily flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport this summer to reduce delays at one of the nation’s busiest hubs.
Last summer, transportation officials said, less than 60 percent of flights arrived at and departed the airport on time, leading to concerns that airlines were scheduling more flights than O’Hare could handle.
The F.A.A. said it would limit flights there to 2,708 a day from May 17 to Oct. 24, according to an order issued by the Transportation Department. It is a slight daily increase from 2025, but smaller than the 3,080 flights Chicago airport officials had proposed.
“This proposed increase is significant and would stress the runway, terminal and air traffic control systems at the airport in light of present operating conditions,” the order states.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the “unrealistic” flight schedules would have caused unnecessary delays and that the cap was intended to improve summer travel for passengers.
“If you book a ticket, we want you and your family to have the certainty that you’ll fly without endless delays and cancellations,” Mr. Duffy said in a statement.
Air traffic at O’Hare, one of the country’s busiest hubs, has surged in recent years. Last year, the airport had 860,015 aircraft operations, an about 11 percent increase from 2024, according to a recent report from Airports Council International. Federal officials said the cap would help maintain a reliable airport experience.
“We appreciate the airlines working together with us to reach a responsible level of operations that strengthens safety and delivers a more reliable travel experience for the American public,” Bryan Bedford, the F.A.A.’s administrator, said in a statement.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest air carriers in the United States, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The air travel industry has dealt with a rocky year already. In March, a partial government shutdown resulted in widespread delays at airports. And some airlines, particularly in Europe, have raised alarms about the surge in jet fuel prices that has resulted from the war in Iran.
Mark Walker is a Times reporter who covers breaking news and culture.
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