The Chicago Department of Aviation is moving forward with plans to construct O’Hare’s new Concourse E.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Thursday that the city will break ground on the first phase of the project later this year. The development is part of the broader, $8.8 billion ORDNext airport modernization project.
The first phase of the “New Concourse E” will add 14 new gates by 2030 and create the capacity needed to support the construction of the O’Hare Global Terminal – considered the centerpiece of the ORDNext initiative – in a single phase beginning in 2029 and reaching completion in 2033. Following the completion of the Global Terminal, a second phase of the Concourse E project will add 10 more gates, bringing the concourse to 24 total gates by 2034.
The city said it revised phasing for the project in coordination with O’Hare’s hub carriers, including United and American Airlines. The new timeline will allow the Global Terminal to be completed more quickly while adding square footage and additional gates to the terminal’s design.
“Chicago is not waiting to build the O’Hare our residents, businesses, and visitors will need for the next generation,” Johnson said in a news release. “By moving forward with New Concourse E this year, we are adding gates where they are needed, keeping this historic modernization moving, and creating a clear path to deliver the O’Hare Global Terminal, the centerpiece of ORDNext, as quickly as possible.”
Concourse E will cover approximately 460,000 square feet over multiple stories. Its gates will be designed to accommodate a mix of regional, narrowbody, and widebody aircraft serving domestic and international routes.
The facility will feature airline lounges, passenger amenities, and dining and retail space. The concourse will connect directly to the new Concourse D and the Global Terminal through an underground passenger tunnel.
Construction of Concourse D broke ground about a year ago and is progressing on schedule, officials said. That project is expected to be complete by 2028.
