American Airlines adds five gates at O'Hare

American Airlines on Friday officially opened five new gates at O’Hare International Airport, the first major expansion of gate capacity in 25 years and what the city is calling the first step in the airport’s massive US$8.7b expansion plan. The 41,000-square-foot L concourse gate expansion project was built in 20 months and represents a $78m investment from American. The new gates serve large regional flights and expand American’s gate total at O’Hare to 71 from 66, said American spokeswoman Leslie Scott. At the ceremony, attended by American CEO Doug Parker and several Chicago aldermen, Mayor Rahm Emanuel noted that Friday also marked the end of O’Hare’s old 35-year lease agreement with the airlines that operate flights from the airport. New leases signed with the airlines earlier this year are expected to pay for the airport’s massive expansion. “We begin today writing a new era and a new chapter for the city of Chicago, for O’Hare and obviously for American Airlines,” Emanuel said. The new gate investment was announced in early 2016 and is part of a $1.3b infrastructure plan at the airport that is separate from the larger $8.7b project.<br/>