O’Hare to Break Ground on New Concourse E Later This Year

Image credit: Chicago Department of Aviation

14-gate first phase will open in 2030, supporting construction of the O’Hare Global Terminal; second phase will add 10 more gates by 2034.

CHICAGO — Chicago Department of Aviation has announced that construction of the first phase of the new Concourse E at O’Hare International Airport will begin later this year, advancing the next major stage of the airport’s $8.8 billion ORDNext modernisation programme.

The first phase will add 14 new gates, providing additional capacity to support construction of the O’Hare Global Terminal in a coordinated phase beginning in 2029, with completion scheduled for 2033. A second phase will add a further 10 gates, bringing the new concourse to 24 gates by 2034.

The revised project phasing has been developed in coordination with O’Hare’s hub carriers, including United Airlines and American Airlines. The updated schedule is intended to bring additional capacity online while allowing construction of the Global Terminal to proceed more efficiently.

Construction of the new Concourse D remains on schedule for completion of its 19 new gates in late 2028. The project broke ground a year ago and its steel frame is now rising above the airfield.

The first phase of Concourse E is scheduled to open in 2030, followed by the O’Hare Global Terminal in 2033 and the final 10 Concourse E gates in 2034.

When fully completed, the new Concourse E will comprise approximately 460,000 square feet across multiple levels. Located west of the new Concourse D, it will accommodate a mix of regional and narrowbody aircraft serving domestic and preclearance international flights.

The concourse will include airline lounges, passenger amenities, dining and retail facilities, and will connect directly with the new Concourse D and O’Hare Global Terminal via an underground passenger tunnel.

The revised sequencing is designed to align project spending with O’Hare’s capacity requirements while maintaining the approved ORDNext budget and prioritising delivery of the Global Terminal.

O’Hare is currently handling nearly 100 more daily departures than in July 2025, with both of its major hub carriers having expanded operations.

Once the wider ORDNext programme is completed, the new concourses and O’Hare Global Terminal are expected to provide approximately 14% more gate capacity, increased flexibility for hub carriers, expanded passenger amenities and more efficient aircraft movement across the airfield.

Source: Chicago Department of Aviation