American Airlines and United Airlines’ battle for Chicago will heat up in 2026
American Airlines has been actively adding routes that overlap with United Airlines' network at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD).
One of the main storylines in the United States airline industry in 2025 had been two airlines competing for glory at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which included snide comments, lawsuits, and promises to return to flying more than 500 daily flights at the airport. The Engine Cowl looks at how American Airlines and United Airlines will continue competing at ORD, including potential domestic and international route overlaps in 2026.
On December 29, 2025, American Airlines issued a press release, saying that it continued to strengthen its route network at ORD, adding 100 additional daily departures to more than 75 destinations for spring break. In addition, it scheduled new or returning routes to such airports as Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Mexico City International Airport (MEX), and others.
Steven Johnson, the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of American Airlines, reiterated that the airline is committed to “rebuilding our Chicago hub to be stronger and more compelling for our customers, and our 2026 plans are both emblematic of that objective and an exciting way to end a year defined by bold growth and investment at ORD.”
American Airlines kept a promise that Robert Isom, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), had made during the carrier’s Q3 earnings call. Isom said that the airline will once again have over 500 daily departures at the airport, with the chief executive being certain that ORD “can support two hub carriers.”
Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, had a different opinion. Speaking with The Airline Observer’s Brian Summers at the APEX Global Expo 2025, Kirby estimated that American Airlines was losing $800 million annually at ORD, something that was not “sustainable.”
And even when American Airlines added 100 daily flights at the airport, United Airlines could afford to do “absolutely nothing” since, as a “brand-loyal airline,” it could afford to ignore its competition and continue with the implementation of its plans, Kirby stated.
But doing “absolutely nothing” might be a half-truth. After all, according to a lawsuit that American Airlines filed against the City of Chicago in May 2025, United Airlines “has long sought to marginalize American, as United openly aspires to be the sole hub carrier at O’Hare.”
It was United Airlines that “recently requested that [the City of Chicago] redetermine the gate space assigned to each airline this year,” which would result in American Airlines losing and United Airlines gaining preferential use gates at ORD.
“American has brought this suit to enjoin this breach of the AULA [Airline Use and Lease Agreement – ed. note], which, if left unremedied, would inhibit American’s continued growth at O’Hare.”
American Airlines eventually withdrew its lawsuit in July 2025, cementing the loss of four preferential use gates and United Airlines’ gain of at least five gates at the airport.
But American Airlines did not give up on its aspirations to grow at ORD, and splashed out $30 million to acquire two preferential-use gates at the airport from the once again bankrupt Spirit Airlines. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the sale on December 15, 2025.
Rytis Beresnevicius
In October 2025, United Airlines unveiled ten new routes from ORD, which are displayed below. Announcing the new connections, Patrick Quayle, the Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines, stated that the carrier’s investment at ORD “never wavered.”
“In addition to growing our schedule to offer more seats than ever before, we've expanded our premium footprint, upgraded our aircraft interiors, and renovated our lounge spaces.”
Out of the 10 new routes, some of which will begin in the next few months, while others will begin later during the year, four will overlap with American Airlines’ network at ORD. However, these are some of the few routes that both airlines will operate from the airport in 2026.
According to data from Cirium’s Diio Mi, in April, the two airlines will have 111 overlapping domestic routes, 13 of which American Airlines and three of which United Airlines had not operated in April 2025.
The overlapping routes and the two airlines’ routes – American Airlines and United Airlines, respectively – that were not scheduled in April 2025 are displayed below.
Photo: Great Circle Map
Both carriers also added the same two overlapping routes from ORD to Spokane International Airport (GEG) and Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN), displayed below.
Internationally, the two airlines have 20 overlapping routes, including to three airports in Europe: Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), London Heathrow Airport (LHR), and Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in April.
American Airlines added six international routes from ORD that will overlap with United Airlines’ network during the month, which are displayed below.
Overall, in April, American Airlines and United Airlines have scheduled 88.2% of the total weekly departures from ORD. The third busiest airline at the airport, Delta Air Lines, has only 282 weekly departures, or 3.2% of the total weekly takeoffs from ORD during the month.
In terms of the market share, American Airlines and United Airlines should represent 40.3% and 47.8% of the total weekly departures from ORD, respectively. In terms of capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASKs), American Airlines' capacity share should be 25.4%, while United Airlines’ should be 39.4% in April, Cirium’s Diio Mi showed.
Rytis Beresnevicius
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