United, American Airlines Push Back Against Rising Costs of O’Hare Ai…

United and American airlines want to ground — or significantly scale back — the massive O’Hare International Airport redevelopment designs.

The change comes after the airlines signed an agreement to foot much of the bill through increased gate fees. But now the airlines say the project is over budget, and pandemic-era losses put them at a disadvantage. Will the elaborate Jeanne Gang-designed Terminal 2 ever take flight?

Originally budgeted at $8.5 billion, the expansion is now reaching $12 billion. The most extensive part of the project is the 2.2 million-square-foot O’Hare Global Terminal, replacing what is now Terminal 2.

These rising costs are now a high concern for United and American who say they are still committed to the project.

Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said that if plans go through as originally intended, it would double O’Hare’s current enplanement cost of $26. By comparison, New York’s JFK International has…