Chicago's New O'Hare Concourse E to Break Ground This Year, Adding 14 Gates

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The City of Chicago plans to launch the first phase of construction on the new Concourse E at O'Hare International Airport later this year. The project will add 14 gates and support the delivery of the planned O'Hare Global Terminal.

The project is part of the $8.8 billion ORDNext modernization program. The first 14 gates are scheduled to open in 2030, while the O'Hare Global Terminal is planned to break ground in 2029 and be completed in 2033.

The second phase of Concourse E will add 10 gates after the Global Terminal is completed, bringing the concourse's total gate count to 24 by 2034.

The revised construction sequence was developed in coordination with O'Hare's two major hub carriers—United Airlines and American Airlines. According to the City of Chicago, the additional capacity from the first phase of Concourse E will allow construction of the Global Terminal to proceed while the airport remains operational.

Mike McMurray, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, said: "Starting construction on the new Concourse E now is about getting ahead of O'Hare's growth, not reacting to it after the fact. The first 14 gates give us the flexibility to maintain safe and efficient airline operations while we deliver the most critical components of ORDNext. Equally important, this sequencing allows us to deliver the O'Hare Global Terminal in a more efficient, coordinated, and fiscally responsible manner, before completing the remaining 10 new Concourse E gates."

Construction of the new Concourse D is progressing as planned, with 19 gates set to be completed by the end of 2028. In June, the city established the Guaranteed Maximum Price for Concourse D and related infrastructure, which is reportedly at least $21 million below the approved budget.

Activity at O'Hare continues to increase, driving demand for additional capacity. The airport's daily departures this summer are nearly 100 flights higher than in July 2025, with both United Airlines and American Airlines expanding their operations.

The new Concourse E will ultimately encompass approximately 460,000 square feet of multi-level space, located west of the new Concourse D, and will accommodate regional and narrow-body aircraft operating domestic and international flights subject to U.S. preclearance arrangements.

The concourse will feature airline lounges, passenger amenities, dining, and retail spaces. An underground pedestrian tunnel will connect Concourse E with Concourse D and the O'Hare Global Terminal, integrating the three facilities into an expanded terminal complex.

The Global Terminal is the centerpiece of the ORDNext program. Under the plan, the new concourses and the Global Terminal are expected to increase O'Hare's gate capacity by 14%, while adding passenger amenities and transforming aircraft operations within the airport.

Under the revised timeline, Concourse D will be completed in 2028, the first 14 gates of Concourse E in 2030, the O'Hare Global Terminal in 2033, and the remaining 10 Concourse E gates in 2034.