United to prevent American Airlines securing additional gates at Chicago

United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby confirmed plans to add flights as necessary at Chicago O’Hare to prevent rival American Airlines from securing additional gates in 2026. United holds 50.32pc of weekly capacity at the hub, compared with American’s 30.49pc, and both carriers managed 77.7pc of passengers in 2024. Kirby revealed that United earned approximately €420m at O’Hare in 2025, while American incurred similar losses, potentially rising to €840m in 2026. United gained five gates in 2025, reducing American’s by four following a failed court challenge. American expects three new gates in 2026 under review.

Kirby stated that United maintains a 22 percentage-point lead among local customers and 38 percentage points among business travellers. O’Hare serves as a key hub for both airlines. American’s CEO disputed the financial portrayal at the airport. United commits to preserving its gate count through operational expansion.

The strategy aims to protect United’s market position at the Chicago hub.

Scott Kirby shared “In 2026, we are drawing a line in the sand. We are not going to allow them to win a single gate at our expense. We are going to add as many flights as are required to keep our gate count the same in Chicago.”