Nearly 2,700 flights axed from world's busiest airport this month after being 'forced'

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered American Airlines and United Airlines to reduce their scheduled flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport to prevent delays and cancellations this summer

Tannur Anders UK & World News Reporter and Abigail Hunt Content Editor

07:16, 01 May 2026

[An American Airlines plane takes off at O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has forced the cancellations(Image: Jim Vondruska/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Airlines operating at the world's busiest airport are being forced to slash their schedules to cut down on operational chaos ahead of the summer months.

Reports suggest the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is compelling operators at Chicago O'Hare International Airport to trim their schedules in a bid to minimise operational disruption. This has led major carriers American Airlines and United Airlines to axe nearly 2,700 May flights between them.

The FAA announced in April that it would be taking "action to prevent endless delays [and] cancellations at Chicago O'Hare." It's understood that fewer than 60% of arrivals and departures ran on time at O'Hare last summer, with the airport keen to boost performance in 2026.

[An American Airlines jet approaches the runway as a United Airlines jet taxis at O'Hare International Airport on April 14, 2026, in Chicago]

An American Airlines jet approaches the runway as a United Airlines jet taxis at O'Hare International Airport(Image: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

O'Hare airport is expected to handle almost 15% more flights on busy days this year compared to summer 2025, according to MSN. This raises the prospect of over-scheduling, with airlines instructed to reduce flights to ward off travel disruptions, reports the Mirror.

"We appreciate the airlines working together with us to reach a responsible level of operations that strengthens safety and delivers a more reliable travel experience for the American public," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium on week-on-week timetable alterations revealed that United and American combined have axed a total of 2,696 return flights at the airport in May. This works out at roughly 87 flights daily. While this is minimal against O'Hare's total operations, it will still create some operational disruption for passengers.

[A traveller stands beneath a flight information board showing delayed and cancelled flights at O'Hare International Airport (ORD) during a snowstorm in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025]

A traveller stands beneath a flight information board showing delayed and cancelled flights at O'Hare International Airport(Image: Jim Vondruska/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

American Airlines' May figure has fallen by 787 return journeys from 32,410 to 31,623. The carrier has been forced to slash at least 10 rotations across 24 of its Chicago routes in May 2026.

United Airlines is responsible for the majority of these reductions, with 1,909 services having been scrapped. The carrier's footprint at O'Hare will decline from 43,271 planned return flights to 41,362 in May.

Reports indicate that 53 routes have experienced 10 or more May departures removed from United Airlines' O'Hare schedules.

Even United Airlines' biggest US hubs haven't escaped the reductions.

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George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport have all witnessed 10 or more May cuts.

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