In a move that could reduce passenger delays, the major airlines operating out of O’Hare International Airport have agreed to not only add up to nine gates but also a more ambitious plan to rebuild Terminal 2.
The CEOs of the major rival O’Hare airlines — United and American — were on stage at a news conference at O’Hare Friday, along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D), all enthusing about what the multibillion dollar expansion could do for the city’s economy.
“New York, London, Berlin, Beijing — watch out, Chicago’s coming for you,” Emanuel told reporters.
Although many new runways have been built under a long-term expansion of the airport, a deal on new gates has eluded the city and airlines, with dominant carriers United and American worried about making way for too much competition.
But more gates are crucial to improving on-time arrivals and departures at O’Hare, according to the airlines and transportation experts. Even with the new runways opened or under construction under the O’Hare Modernization Program that has cost about $ 4.4 billion to date, the nation’s second-busiest airport can only handle so many flights; right now there aren’t sufficient parking spaces for planes to load and unload passengers in a timely manner.
That’s one of the reasons why O’Hare continues to struggle with some of the longest flight delays among major U.S. airports, making an airport that’s a key driver of Chicago’s economy a less attractive option to both international and domestic fliers.
O’Hare is the nation’s second busiest airport after Atlanta, but no longer ranks among the world’s 100 best, according to passengers surveyed for the 2016 World Airport Awards. Wait times were the main complaint.
The current Terminal 2 layout is congested for both planes looking to arrive or depart, and for customers waiting for their flights, said DePaul University transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman.
“It creates a claustrophobic experience,” Schwieterman said. He said the design worked well 40 years ago, but now causes delays for flights due to the awkward layout, and even a minute’s delay can cause lengthy repercussions.
A new terminal “will lift the whole traveler experience by eliminating the cramped conditions fliers now face,” Schwieterman said.
Up to nine gates will be added to the 25 now at Terminal 5, with design to start next week and the gates opening in 2019, Evans said. The $ 300 million cost will be paid for with existing passenger facility charges — the fee tacked onto each airplane ticket.
The second part of Emanuel’s plan for O’Hare is much bigger: the demolition and reconstruction of Terminal 2, at a cost of billions of dollars. How to pay for this still has to be worked out with the airlines, as well as the exact configuration of the terminal — six proposals were on display at the news conference. Both Evans and Emanuel said it would not involve taxpayer dollars, however, higher fees could be passed on to airline customers, Schwieterman said.
Evans said negotiations for the new agreement will continue over the next 18 months. Evans also said the airlines are “very supportive of the project,” which will allow both the hub airline and other airlines to grow.
“We are all very mindful this is a historical opportunity to get it right for O’Hare,” Evans told reporters after the announcement. She said this means all parties will be “very careful” in deciding which configuration to select.
Nine new gates at O’Hare
Amenities in the rebuilt Terminal 2 could include a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, a departure hall with additional space for TSA passenger screening, concessions and passenger amenities, city officials say.
The revamped central terminal also could include new concourses to be constructed to the west as airline passenger demand grows.
Space is being made for the terminal expansion through the demolition of old structures and runways in a $ 1.3 billion project to add a sixth east-west runway the mayor announced in late January. That project, which Evans said would not be built for another eight to 10 years, also includes new taxiways and de-icing pads. In addition, there are plans to build two new hotels at the airport.
When that work was announced, Emanuel and Evans conceded that new gates would be crucial but were not part of that plan. But they contended the removal of old runways and structures laid the groundwork to make a deal on new gates.
Emanuel said in an interview that the notion of leaving the airport as it is now is not an option.
“The real choice is not does this happen or not, but which plan happens,” he said. He said that the airlines need both efficient runways and an efficient and effective terminal, and the city has been keeping them pointed toward that goal.
“You build a 21st century airport, you’re going to have happy customers because the experience will be world class,” Emanuel said.
He noted that O’Hare is growing exponentially, so it gives the airlines a lot of strength and capacity. “Every new gate is a gateway to the world and the world to Chicago.”
“There’s no debate — it’s time to start planning for the future of O’Hare. While the old antique charm may work at Wrigley Field, it’s not quite the same at an airport,” said American CEO Doug Parker.
Durbin said he spends a lot of time at airports and knows the renovations are needed: “The future of our economy depends on O’Hare.”
Evans said noise would be affected by the plans. She noted that planes are getting quieter and the noise footprint continues to get smaller.
hdardick@chicagotribune.com
mwisniewski@tribpub.com
No comments:
Post a Comment