O’Hare rebounds, but recovery lags other airfields – Crain’s*

Flight traffic at the Chicago’s two airports staged a solid rebound in 2021, but their recovery lags most of the nation’s other big airfields, particularly those located away from the coasts.

According to new figures released today by the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of total flight operations (departures plus arrivals) was up 27% last year at O’Hare International Airport, to 684,201, compared to 2020. But last year's traffic was still down 26% from 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.