Durbin Commends Decision to Expand Capacity at O'Hare

Press Release

Durbin Commends Decision to Expand Capacity at O'Hare

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended a decision by the Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Robert Sturgell, to raise the hourly flight capacity at O'Hare International Airport. Durbin is scheduled to meet with Sturgell on Wednesday, June 18.

"Lifting the flight caps at O'Hare is the right decision and makes good on the FAA's original agreement with the City of Chicago," said Durbin. "Increasing the capacity at O'Hare will create local jobs and foster economic activity. I commend Mr. Sturgell for this decision and look forward to working with him, Mayor Daley and members of the Illinois Delegation to implement a long term plan to utilize this increased capacity and the benefits expected from the O'Hare Modernization Program."

In November 2007, news reports quoted an FAA official as saying that the hourly flight cap at O'Hare would not be lifted for the scheduled November 2008 opening of the new runway causing Illinois members to express concern that a decision may have been made on flight capacity levels at O'Hare by the FAA without consulting the City of Chicago, the public or Congress. Immediately following the reports, Durbin lead a bipartisan group of Illinois Congressional Delegation members in sending a letter to the FAA asking that no decision be made on flight caps without Congressional input.

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