United Vows to Add O’Hare Flights to Block American’s Gate Gains
United Airlines has signalled it is prepared to add significant capacity at Chicago O’Hare to prevent rival American Airlines from expanding its gate presence at the airport, escalating competition at one of the most strategically important hubs in the United States.
Speaking during United’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, chief executive Scott Kirby said the airline would take an aggressive stance in 2026 to protect its position at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Kirby said United would add “as many flights as are required” to ensure it does not lose any gates to American under O’Hare’s gate allocation process.
“In 2026, we are drawing a line in the sand,” Kirby said. “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.” His comments underline how central O’Hare remains to United’s domestic and international network strategy.
O’Hare serves as a major hub for both carriers. According to ch-aviation schedule data, United currently controls 50.32% of weekly seat capacity at the airport, compared with 30.49% for American. Combined, the two airlines and their regional affiliates accounted for 77.7% of all commercial passengers at O’Hare in 2024, based on figures from the City of Chicago Department of Aviation.
Kirby said United generated roughly USD500 million in profit from its Chicago operations in 2025, while claiming American incurred losses of a similar magnitude at the airport. He warned that American’s losses at O’Hare could deepen to as much as USD1 billion in 2026 if current trends continue. American Airlines chief executive Robert Isom disputed that assessment in comments to Reuters, saying O’Hare is capable of supporting two large hub carriers and rejecting Kirby’s portrayal of American’s financial performance.
United’s leadership also pointed to customer loyalty as a key differentiator. Kirby said United holds a 22 percentage-point advantage among Chicago-based customers and a 38 percentage-point lead among business travellers, reinforcing its confidence in sustaining higher capacity levels if required.
The dispute is rooted in gate allocation changes at O’Hare. In 2025, United was awarded five additional gates, while American lost four, a decision that American unsuccessfully challenged in court. Under the airport’s upcoming allocation review, United expects American to regain three gates in 2026, a prospect that has prompted United’s pledge to defend its existing footprint.
Industry analysts note that United’s willingness to add flights primarily to protect gate access could intensify competition, potentially pressuring yields in the short term. However, United appears willing to absorb that risk to preserve long-term dominance at one of its most profitable and strategically vital hubs.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com