United Airlines will operate 750 daily flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) this summer, marking the largest schedule ever flown by any airline at the airport and significantly outpacing its closest competitor by 200 flights.
The expansion will give United service to 222 destinations from O’Hare — 38 more than any other carrier at the airport — including 47 international cities across Europe, Asia and South America and 175 U.S. destinations.
Five new Midwest routes launch starting April 30, with four-times-daily service to Champaign/Urbana, Illinois and Kalamazoo, Michigan. On May 7, the airline adds flights to Lansing, Michigan; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, all operating four times daily. Tickets go on sale January 29.
The routes build on previously announced service additions to cities including Santa Barbara and Monterey, California; Eugene, Oregon; and several smaller Midwest markets.
More than 80 existing markets will see increased flight frequencies, including Boston, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. United will also operate daily service to Guadalajara, Mexico from June 8-27 to accommodate international soccer matches, giving the airline nonstop connections to all 16 host cities for the tournament.
“This growth at O’Hare highlights our commitment to invest in our network, customers and hiring in the city we call home,” Omar Idris, United’s Vice President of ORD, said in a statement.
The summer schedule represents a 20% increase in mainline departures compared to summer 2025, with more than 370 daily mainline flights planned. United’s Chicago hub is expected to become the third-largest operated by any U.S. airline.
“The record-breaking expanded flight offerings from United Airlines planned for this coming summer at O’Hare demonstrates the company’s sustained commitment to growth in Illinois – boosting our economy, supporting jobs, and strengthening Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industries,” added Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
United led major carriers in on-time arrivals at O’Hare in 2025 and had significantly lower cancellation rates than its primary competitor. The airline averaged 541 daily departures in 2025, 31% more than its closest rival, and flew more seats from Chicago than at any point in the last two decades.
To support the expansion, United plans to hire approximately 2,500 additional employees at O’Hare by year’s end, bringing its Chicago-based workforce to more than 18,000.
The airline has invested in technology upgrades including Connection Saver, which prevented about one million missed connections in 2025, and Starlink Wi-Fi, now available on more than 300 aircraft. Other improvements include expedited bag drop services and TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, which has been used by more than 2.8 million passengers since launching in 2024.
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