March 23 at 4:38 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines
By Julie Johnsson
Construction workers smooth off concrete mix as they work on the O'Hare expansion project in September 2010. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
After reaching a crucial compromise with United and American airlines, the city of Chicago is again planning to issue about $1 billion in debt to help fund the final phase of O’Hare International Airport’s expansion.
The city withdrew a $998.9 million bond issue in January after investors’ enthusiasm for the debt was dampened by a collapse in the municipal finance market, a credit-rating downgrade for O’Hare and a lawsuit filed by United and American aimed at blocking the project. Get the full story »
March 14 at 11:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
By Jon Hilkevitch | Mayor Richard Daley and United and American airlines have negotiated a breakthrough, $1.7 billion deal to continue runway construction at O’Hare International Airport, according to the United States Department of Transportation.
The department issued a news release this morning that said the agreement on the O’Hare Modernization Program will allow work to begin on an additional south runway at the airport in addition to other improvements that would allow O’Hare to “deal with increasing traffic.”
By Julie Johnsson
The three largest U.S. carriers scrambled Friday to ensure that employees in Japan were safe as they re-routed passengers and aircraft bound for the earthquake-stricken country.
United, Delta and American airlines canceled many, but not all, flights to Japan Friday and offered to waive booking fees for those who opted to cancel or reschedule travel there as the country recovers from one of the largest earthquakes on record. Get the full story »
March 1 at 2:10 p.m.
Filed under:
Airports,
Food,
Restaurants
From USA Today | Tortas Frontera, a Rick Bayless restaurant that specializes in Mexican griddle sandwiches, scores among the Top 10 airport restaurants in a Frommer’s Travel Guides survey commissioned by USA Today.
“We’ve picked places that serve food you’d eat even if you weren’t trapped,” says Jason Clampet, senior online editor for Frommers.com.
Feb. 18 at 4:03 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airports
By Jon Hilkevitch | Another delay was announced Friday in the litigation over a possible O’Hare expansion to give the city of Chicago and United and American airlines more time to possibly negotiate a settlement, officials said.
A Cook County judge had been scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on a motion by the city to dismiss the airlines’ request for a preliminary injunction barring Chicago from selling about $1 billion in bonds to finance part of the final phase of new runways at O’Hare International Airport. Get the full story »
Feb. 17 at 5:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
Updated
A Virgin America Airbus A319 airplane. (Charlotte Southern/Bloomberg)
By Julie Johnsson and Wailin Wong | Virgin America entered the Chicago market Wednesday with typical flair, unveiling a Groupon Deal of the Day that slashed prices on its new West Coast service to $128 round-trip.
The deeply discounted deal was the first air fare to be featured on Chicago-based Groupon and sold out in Chicago in just 8 minutes, said Virgin America spokewoman Abby Lunardini. Within 45 minutes, Virgin’s Groupon offer had sold out in San Francisco and Los Angeles, a total of 2,100 fares in all.
Get the full story »
Feb. 17 at 11:44 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airports,
Litigation,
Policy,
Politics
By Jon Hilkevitch | United and American airlines’ lawsuit against Chicago over the expansion of O’Hare International Airport will move toward trial after negotiations have so far failed to break an impasse, officials said Thursday.
Both sides on Thursday asked Judge Richard Billik of Cook County Circuit Court to lift a one-week delay on hearing the lawsuit, which seeks to prevent the city from borrowing more money to keep the O’Hare project going.
The delay was intended to give negotiations a chance to resolve major differences over the financing and timing of new runways. Get the full story »
Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Policy,
Politics
By Chicago Breaking News
By Jon Hilkevitch | A Cook County judge on Thursday approved a five-day delay in hearing the lawsuit that United and American airlines have filed to stop the city of Chicago from borrowing about $1 billion for the expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
Feb. 7 at 5:23 p.m.
Filed under:
Airports
By Chicago Breaking News
A major power outage at Chicago O’Hare International Airport brought three terminals to a stand-still for about 20 minutes today, according to Commonwealth Edison. Get the full story »
Jan. 12 at 6:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Airports,
Investing
By Jon Hilkevitch and Julie Johnsson | The Daley administration is flying into dangerous financial territory by increasing borrowings for the expansion of O’Hare International Airport to unprecedented levels in order to keep the runway construction project going, a top bond credit rating agency cautioned Wednesday.
Fitch Ratings downgraded O’Hare revenue bonds as well as bonds backed by passenger ticket taxes to “A-” status, while assigning a “stable” rating outlook.
The action came two days after Moody’s Investors Service downgraded to a “negative” outlook from “stable” some of the revenue bonds that Chicago has issued to help pay for the $15 billion O’Hare Modernization Program and related capital improvements deemed necessary for the success of the massive airfield project. Get the full story »
Jan. 10 at 5:20 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
By Jon Hilkevitch | A major credit rating firm delivered a stern warning Monday regarding the mounting risks that Chicago is taking by going deeper into debt in an attempt to build more runways at O’Hare International Airport without securing financial support from the airlines.
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded to a “negative” outlook from “stable” some of the revenue bonds that the Chicago Department of Aviation has issued to help pay for the $15 billion O’Hare Modernization Program and related projects.
Moody’s cited concern about the city’s latest gambit to postpone repayment of all interest on some construction bonds until at least 2018, resulting in much larger payments over the long run. The airlines and their customers would eventually be stuck paying for the increased borrowing costs through higher landing fees and higher airfares. Get the full story »
Dec. 10, 2010 at 11:51 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airports
By Tribune staff report
American Airlines and USO of Illinois today opened a cyber canteen for active military service members who are traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The new facility, located off the L concourse at the far eastern end of American’s Terminal 3, can seat about 120 people and is available for military personnel and their families.
Open daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., the lounge features free Wi-Fi Internet access, food and drink and a lounge area where traveling troops can recharge. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 2:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Airports,
Government
Crain’s Chicago Business | The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it will pay for a second control tower at O’Hare International Airport as part of the second phase of updates there. The agency also paid for a tower in Phase I.
Nov. 11, 2010 at 3:47 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
By Julie Johnsson
Just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel season, Continental Airlines is moving its ticketing and check-in counters to the neighboring terminal operated by corporate sibling United Airlines at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Effective Tuesday, Nov. 16, Continental passengers will check in at Continental-branded counters in O’Hare’s Terminal 1, rather than Terminal 2, where the Houston-based carrier had been located.
The move is one of the first changes visible to travelers as the two carriers begin to combine operations following the Oct. 1 close of their merger, which created the world’s largest airline. Both carriers are wholly owned subsidiaries of United Continental Holdings Inc., their Chicago-based corporate parent. Get the full story »
Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:08 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
By Julie Johnsson
Virgin America is once again looking to land at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in 2011, provided it can finalize an agreement with the city of Chicago to take over gates vacated by Delta Air Lines last year.
Virgin America CEO David Cush said Tuesday that talks were progressing and he was optimistic the carrier would begin daily flights from Chicago to Los Angeles and San Francisco next April.
“I think the city has certainly moved the process forward,” said Cush, saying he expected to hammer out an agreement in the next 30 to 45 days. “I’m more encouraged today than I was 60 days ago.” Get the full story »
