First phase of O’Hare Concourse E to break ground this year

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Mike McMurray have announced that the City of Chicago will break ground later this year on the first phase of The New Concourse E at O’Hare International Airport, advancing the next major stage of the $8.8 billion ORDNext modernization program and creating the capacity needed to accelerate construction of the O’Hare Global Terminal. 

“Chicago is not waiting to build the O’Hare our residents, businesses and visitors will need for the next generation,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By moving forward with New Concourse E this year, we are adding gates where they are needed, keeping this historic modernization moving, and creating a clear path to deliver the O’Hare Global Terminal, the centerpiece of ORDNext, as quickly as possible. We are demonstrating that Chicago can build boldly while protecting the interests of our airline partners, passengers and the people of this city.” 

The first phase of the New Concourse E will add 14 new gates and provide the capacity needed to support the construction of the O’Hare Global Terminal. Following completion of the Global Terminal, a second phase of New Concourse E will add 10 additional gates, bringing the concourse to 24 total gates.

When fully complete, The New Concourse E will be a multilevel facility totaling approximately 460,000 square feet, located west of The New Concourse D. Its gates will be designed to accommodate a mix of regional and narrowbody aircraft serving domestic and preclearance international flights. 

The concourse will feature airline lounges, passenger amenities and new dining and retail opportunities. It will connect directly to The New Concourse D and the O’Hare Global Terminal through an underground passenger tunnel, creating a more seamless journey through O’Hare’s expanded terminal complex. 

Under the revised sequence, Concourse D will be completed in 2028, the first phase of Concourse E will deliver 14 gates in 2030, the O’Hare Global Terminal will begin construction in 2029 and be completed in 2033, and the final 10 gates of Concourse E will be completed in 2034. The phased approach aligns project spending with the airport’s capacity needs while preserving the approved ORDNext budget and prioritizing delivery of the O’Hare Global Terminal. 

The revised project phasing was developed in coordination with O’Hare’s hub carriers, including United Airlines, the city’s hometown airline, and American Airlines. This refreshed timeline allows the Global Terminal to be completed more quickly and adds additional square footage and additional gates to the terminal’s design.