"Tentative agreement reached on O'Hare Airport expansion"

Saturday, September 23, 2000

Tentative agreement reached on O'Hare Airport expansion
The Associated Press


CHICAGO - Officials of airlines serving O'Hare International Airport reached
a tentative agreement with the city Friday on a $3.2 billion airport
renovation project.

The renovation, aimed at improving efficiency at the busy airport, will
include construction of two new terminals and dozens of new boarding gates.
It is expected to take eight years to complete and increase the number of
boarding gates by at least 25 percent.

It is also intended to increase the number of flights and make connections
in and out of the airport smoother. The project has involved months of
negotiations between the city and officials from United Airlines and
American Airlines.

"Right now, we have an agreement in principle," Chicago Department of
Aviation spokeswoman Monique Bond said. She said the redesign will improve
efficiency and help accommodate the airlines' increased use of larger
planes, such as the Boeing 777.

Bond would not confirm the number of new gates involved. A report appearing
in next week's Crain's Chicago Business says the plan calls for as many as
32 new gates, including 10 each for American and United, according to
sources familiar with the negotiations.

The renovation also will include new federal inspection facilities in
domestic terminals to give travelers a "seamless transition from domestic to
international terminals" for travelers," Bond said.

Bond did know when the deal would be made final.

O'Hare handled 894,611 flights and 72 million passengers in 1999, second
only to Atlanta's Hartsfield airport.

   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA Discussion Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID8

*****************************************