The airport was constructed in 1942–43 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small nearby farming community.
Douglas Company's contract ended in 1945 and though plans were proposed to build commercial aircraft, the company ultimately chose to concentrate production on the west coast. With the departure of Douglas, the airport took the name Orchard Field Airport, the source of its three-letter IATA code ORD.
In 1945, the facility was chosen by the city of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands. Matthew Laflin Rockwell (1915–1988) was the director of planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and responsible for the site selection and design of O'Hare International Airport. He was the great grandson of Matthew Laflin, a founder and pioneer of Chicago.
In 1949, the airport was renamed "O'Hare International Airport" to honor Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Its IATA code, "ORD", remained unchanged, however, resulting in the infrequent case of an airport's three-letter designation bearing no connection to the airport name or metropolitan area.
Commercial development Airline Operations (Takeoffs Plus Landings) Midway O'Hare 1958 337,421 66,205 1959 345,170 82,417 1960 298,582 163,351 1961 187,978 235,908 1962 46,873 331,090 1963 19,054 358,266 1964 19,017 389,640 1965 16,716 443,026 1966 5,090 478,644 1967 4,427 573,506 1968 26,941 628,632 1969 31,394 632,030 1970 43,553 598,973 1971 51,734 565,826By the early 1950s Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago's primary airport since 1931, had become too crowded despite multiple expansions and could not handle the planned first generation of jets. The city of Chicago and the FAA began to develop O'Hare as the main airport for Chicago's future.
In 1953, while traveling to an airshow at Naval Air Station Glenview in Chicago, Illinois, Blue Angels pilot LT Harding MacKnight experienced an engine flameout in his F7U Cutlass, forcing him to make an emergency landing at NAS Glenview. Traveling with him, LT "Whitey" Feightner was redirected to make his landing at O'Hare. The runway had just been completed and was covered with peach baskets to prevent aircraft from landing until it was opened. LT Feightner was told to ignore the baskets and land on the new runway. As a result, LT Feightner's F7U became the first aircraft to land on the new runway for O'Hare International Airport.
Commercial passenger flights started in 1955 and by the following year O'Hare was served by American, BOAC, Braniff, Capital, Delta, Eastern, North Central, Pan Am, TWA and United, along with freight airlines Riddle and Slick. O'Hare also opened a $1 million "Skymotive" terminal for corporate aircraft in 1955, the first of its kind.
Growth was slow at first. By 1957 Chicago had invested over $25 million in O'Hare, but Midway remained the world's busiest airport and airlines were reluctant to relocate all of their services to O'Hare until better highway access and other capital improvements were completed. The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 10 weekday departures on United, 9 on American, 6 on Capital, 3 Eastern, 3 TWA, 2 Delta, 2 North Central, and 1 Braniff. Also three weekly Pan Am and one weekly BOAC (Air France and Lufthansa were at Midway). O'Hare's first dedicated international terminal opened in August 1958. By April 1959 the airport had expanded to 7,200 acres (29 km2) with new hangars, terminals, parking and other facilities. The expressway link to downtown Chicago was completed in 1960.
Ground was broken for the main terminal complex (of which Terminals 2 and 3 remain today) April 1, 1959. The complex, designed by C. F. Murphy and Associates, opened on January 1, 1962.
All fixed-wing scheduled airline service in Chicago moved from Midway to O'Hare by July 1962. President John F. Kennedy attended a dedication ceremony in 1963. The arrival of Midway's former traffic quickly made O'Hare the world's busiest airport, serving 10 million passengers annually. Within two years that number would double, with more people passing through O'Hare in 12 months than Ellis Island had processed in its entire existence. In late 1972, Chicago city officials reached an agreement with airlines to shift some services back to Midway in order to ease the overcrowding at O'Hare. Despite this, O'Hare remained the world's busiest airport until 1998. In the late 1960s Midway was nearly abandoned; it enjoyed a revival after startup carrier Midway Airlines began low-cost service there in 1979–80.
Pre-deregulation servicePrior to airline deregulation in 1978, a number of major airlines had focused operations at O'Hare.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Trans World Airlines operated numerous routes to the West Coast, Northeast and Midwest. TWA also served Europe nonstop from Chicago. Northwest Orient Airlines offered flights to the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Florida and Hawaii, as well as service through Alaska to Japan and the Far East. Delta Air Lines served destinations in the Southeast and Midwest.
During this era, Terminal 1 was used for international flights. Terminal 2 (concourses D, E and F) served United, Ozark, Braniff, Eastern, Northwest, Continental and Piedmont. In Terminal 3, Concourse G served TWA and Air Canada, and Concourses H and K served American, Delta and North Central (later merged into Republic Airlines).
Post-deregulation developmentsIn the 1980s, after deregulation, TWA replaced Chicago with St. Louis as its main mid-continent hub. Northwest likewise shifted to a Minneapolis and Detroit-centered network by the early 1990s following its acquisition of Republic Airlines in 1986.
United and American both established nationwide hubs at the airport in the 1980s, which continue to operate today. United developed a new $500 million Terminal 1 ("The Terminal of the Future" or "Terminal of Tomorrow") designed by Helmut Jahn and A. Epstein and Sons, with Turner Construction as the construction manager, and Thornton Tomasetti serving as the structural engineer. It was built between 1985 and 1987 on the site of the old international terminal. Ground was broken for the new terminal complex in March 1985. The terminal opened with 13 gates on June 15, 1987. The terminal was officially dedicated on August 4, 1987 with Mayor Harold Washington in attendance at the dedication ceremony, and the ticketing and baggage claim areas, as well as 29 more gates, were opened. Concourse D of Terminal 2 was demolished in order to make way for the rest of the terminal, which was completed in December 1988. American renovated its existing facilities in Terminal 3 from 1987 to 1990. These renovations were designed by Kober/Belluschi Associates, Inc. and Welton Becket & Associates. Delta maintained a Chicago hub for some time, and opened a new Concourse L. designed by Perkins and Will and Milton Pate & Associates, in Terminal 3 (initially known as the "Delta Flight Center") in 1983, but ultimately closed its Chicago hub in the 1990s.
Due to the construction of Terminal 1 for United, international flights were relocated to a temporary Terminal 4 from 1984 until 1993. Terminal 4 was located on the ground floor of the main parking garage; international passengers would check in there and be taken directly to their aircraft by bus. Ground for the new $618 million International Terminal was broken on July 11, 1990 with airline executives and government officials, led by Mayor Richard M. Daley and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Samuel K. Skinner, in attendance. The new Terminal 5, designed by Perkins and Will in conjunction with Heard & Associates and Consoer Townsend & Associates partially opened on May 27, 1993 with its two lower levels completed to handle all international arrivals. The rest of the terminal, including the departures level, opened on September 30, 1993. Since the opening of Terminal 5, Terminal 4 has been changed into the airport's facility for CTA buses, hotel shuttles, and other ground transportation; the T4 designation may be used again in the future as new terminals are developed. The CTA Blue Line was extended to the airport in 1984.
Total annual passenger volume at O'Hare reached 30 million in 1968, 40 million in 1976, 60 million in 1990 and 70 million in 1997.
A $80 million renovation of Concourse G in Terminal 3 designed by Teng & Associates, Inc. commenced in the spring of 1999 and finished in the spring of 2001. The concourse was enlarged into a 144,500-square-foot facility with 25 remodeled gates. Six large "sky vaults," which are huge skylights atop V-shaped columns that bring natural light into a previously confined space, were constructed. A new 4,138 square-foot Admirals Club was also added to the concourse.
Delta moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in 2009 in order to align its operations with merger partner Northwest Airlines. Continental moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in 2010 as part of its merger with United Airlines.
United States Air Force useThe original Douglas Aircraft C-54 Skymaster transport manufacturing plant on the northeast side of the airport became a United States Air Force Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve facility after World War II. It was used by the USAF from 1947 until 1999 as O'Hare Air Reserve Station, making the airport a joint civil-military airfield during this period.
The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended the closure of O'Hare Air Reserve Station as proposed by the municipal government of the City of Chicago and the transfer of both the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW) and its KC-135 aircraft, and the Air Force Reserve Command's 928th Airlift Wing (928 AW) and its C-130 aircraft to new facilities to be constructed at Scott AFB, Illinois. The 126 ARW moved from the former O'Hare Air Reserve Station at O'Hare International Airport to Scott AFB, Illinois in 1999 as recommended by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's Report to Congress in conjunction with the closure of the Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard facilities at O'Hare. Instead of moving to Scott AFB, subsequent BRAC action directed that the 928 AW be inactivated and its C-130 aircraft reallocated to other Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units.
Following the closure of the O'Hare Air Reserve Station, the former USAF facilities were redeveloped for air cargo and general aviation. Today, Signature Flight Support services private aircraft in this area.
Accidents and incidents1057 fatalities have occurred as a result of accidents en route to or from Chicago O'Hare.
On 1 April 1999, an Air China Boeing 747, Flight 9018, taxied onto an active runway at O'Hare during the takeoff of Korean Air Flight 36, another 747. Flight 36 averted a collision by taking off early and missing the Air China aircraft by 75 feet. There were 8 people on the Air China cargo plane and 379 on the Korean Air flight. On February 9, 1998, American Airlines Flight 1340 crashed upon landing in Chicago from Kansas City International Airport injuring 22 passengers. On October 31, 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 crashed over northwestern Indiana en route from Indianapolis to Chicago, killing all 68 people on board. On September 8, 1994, USAir Flight 427 crashed on approach to Pittsburgh, PA, after departing O'Hare, killing all 132 people on board. On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232, en route to Chicago from Denver, crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 111 people on board. On August 10, 1986, American Trans Air Flight 131 caught fire on the tarmac at O'Hare, destroying the plane. On March 19, 1982, a USAF KC-135 crashed upon approach to O'Hare 40 miles (64 km) northwest of the city (near Woodstock), killing 27 people on board. On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed just after takeoff on runway 32R from Chicago en route to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, killing all 271 people on board and two people on the ground. The crash remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash in United States history, and the worst aviation disaster in the nation before September 11, 2001. On March 28, 1977, Douglas C-47A N57131 of Emery Worldwide was destroyed by fire following a taxiing accident. The aircraft was due to operate a cargo flight. On December 20, 1972, North Central Airlines Flight 575 crashed upon takeoff, killing 10 passengers. On December 27, 1968, North Central Airlines Flight 458 crashed into a hangar at O'Hare, killing 27 onboard and one on the ground. On March 21, 1968, United Airlines Flight 9963 a Boeing 727 overran runway 09R on take off. None of the 3 crew on board were killed but injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. On August 16, 1965, United Airlines Flight 389 crashed 30 miles (48 km) east of O'Hare while on approach, killing all 30 on board. On September 17, 1961, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 had a mechanical failure in control surfaces and crashed upon takeoff at Chicago O'Hare killing all 37 on board.
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