After a flight lands and begins taxiing to the gate, most travelers are eager to get off the plane and leave the airport.
But at one of the country’s busiest hubs, taxing after landing has become an onerous process full of delays.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) has some of the longest average taxi times in the United States.
The average taxi time to the gate after landing at O’Hare is 20 minutes, while the time it takes from leaving the gate until takeoff is 28 minutes, according to FAA data analyzed by local news outlet WLS.
It’s an issue that the CEO of the airport’s largest carrier, United Airlines, is urging regulators to fix.
"It's the only airport in the country where aircraft that are taxiing can't cross runways,” said United CEO Scott Kirby during an appearance at the Executives' Club of Chicago, according to WLS. “That's why it feels like you're driving to Milwaukee sometimes when you're going around because it's the only airport in the country that you have to go around the whole airport to get to your gate," Kirby said.
According to Kirby, a shortage of air traffic controllers is at the root of the issue.
"We don't use all the runways,” he said. “You know, the south tower is often not staffed, and when the south tower is staffed, commute time, the taxi times are six or seven minutes per flight faster.”
O’Hare is the world’s busiest airport for takeoffs and landings, and earlier in 2026, the FAA began limiting the number of flights that could arrive and depart from the hub to help ease delays and prevent runways and air traffic control staff from being overwhelmed.
"The air traffic control situation is the key to unlocking more capacity at O'Hare," he said.
The FAA has been undertaking new hiring measures for air traffic controllers to address nationwide shortages. So far this year, the agency has hired more than 2,000 new controller trainees.
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