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O'Hare to Get 5 New Gates Paid For by American Airlines, City Says

By Kelly Bauer | February 7, 2016 10:47am | Updated on February 8, 2016 8:13am
 Five gates are being added to O'Hare Airport, the city said.
Five gates are being added to O'Hare Airport, the city said.
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DNAinfo/Heather Cherone

CHICAGO — O'Hare Airport will get five new gates as part of a deal with American Airlines.

The five gates, where customers wait before getting onto an airplane, will be open by 2018 in Terminal 3, according to a news release from the Mayor's Office. It will be the first major addition of gates since 1993, when Terminal 5 was opened at O'Hare, the city said.

The construction is connected to the city's $1.3 billion landmark infrastructure plan to modernize O'Hare, according to the city. The gates will increase the airport's capacity, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is talking with other airlines about expanding gates, updating terminals and improving transportation options to and from the airport, the city said. 

“Chicago’s economic future is linked to the success and growth of O’Hare, and the steps we are taking are part of our longterm plan to bring the airport into the 21st century,” Emanuel said. “This agreement is a win for our city, our airline partners and, most importantly, the thousands of passengers who rely on O’Hare on a daily basis. These new gates will help make O’Hare not only the busiest but also the best airport in the world."

American Airlines will fund the project, the city said.

The announcement comes a week after Emanuel announced a new O'Hare runway, partially paid for by United and American Airlines, despite years of pleading from anti-noise activists.

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