Chicago says it will break ground later this year on the first phase of The New Concourse E at O’Hare International Airport. The move is meant to add gates in time to keep the larger ORDNext rebuild on a cleaner path toward the O’Hare Global Terminal.
If you connect through ORD between now and 2034, the dates matter more than the ribbon-cutting.
Concourse D still finishes first. Concourse E then opens in stages so the airport can keep flying while the Global Terminal replaces Terminal 2.
- What changed: City of Chicago and CDA set a late-2026 groundbreaking for Concourse E phase 1.
- Phase 1: 14 new gates targeted to open in 2030.
- Full Concourse E: 10 more gates later, for 24 gates by 2034.
- Global Terminal: Coordinated build from 2029 with completion scheduled for 2033.
- Near-term marker: Concourse D remains on track for late 2028.
What Chicago announced on August 20
In an August 20, 2026 mayoral and Chicago Department of Aviation release, Mayor Brandon Johnson and CDA Commissioner Mike McMurray said the city will break ground later this year on the first phase of The New Concourse E. The project sits inside the $8.8 billion ORDNext modernization program.
Phase 1 adds 14 gates and is framed as the capacity buffer needed before the O’Hare Global Terminal can advance in one coordinated construction phase beginning in 2029.
That terminal is scheduled to finish in 2033. After the Global Terminal opens, a second Concourse E phase adds 10 more gates, bringing the concourse to 24 gates by 2034.
WGN-TV reported the same late-2026 start and the 14-gate first phase tied to Global Terminal sequencing, matching the city timeline for travelers watching ORD capacity news.
United Airlines and American Airlines are named as hub partners who coordinated on the refreshed phasing. Their quotes in the city release emphasize keeping operations efficient during construction while bringing new capacity online sooner.
How the revised ORDNext sequence fits together
Chicago’s revised sequence is explicit. Concourse D completes in 2028 with 19 gates.
The first 14 Concourse E gates open in 2030. The O’Hare Global Terminal follows in 2033, and the final 10 Concourse E gates land in 2034.
That order is the traveler story. New Concourse E is not a same-week gate map change.
It is a multi-year capacity ladder designed so hub carriers can keep moving passengers while Terminal 2 is replaced.
When finished, Concourse E is described as a multilevel facility of about 460,000 square feet west of Concourse D. Gates are intended for a mix of regional and narrowbody aircraft on domestic and preclearance international flights, with lounges, dining, and retail planned into the building.
An underground passenger tunnel is planned to link Concourse E with Concourse D and the Global Terminal. For connection passengers, that tunnel is the long-term reason the phasing matters: future walks and bag paths will depend on which pieces are already open.
Deep Arrival already covered Concourse D’s earlier construction milestone at ORD Concourse D Construction Reaches Milestone. Today’s Concourse E decision is a separate stream with its own gate counts and dates.
What changes for travelers connecting through ORD
Through 2028, the practical watch item remains Concourse D rising on the airfield while existing terminals keep handling the current schedule. Expect occasional gate moves, longer walks, and temporary wayfinding as steel and paving advance, not a finished Concourse E tomorrow.
From 2029 through 2033, the Global Terminal construction phase becomes the bigger passenger disruption risk.
Chicago says the early Concourse E gates exist so that work can proceed without collapsing day-to-day operations. Connection buffers at ORD will still need to be honest during peak hours.
By 2030, if phase 1 opens on schedule, travelers should see 14 additional Concourse E gates before the Global Terminal opens. That is when airline apps and airport maps should start showing a lasting gate family west of Concourse D, not only construction fencing.
United and American customers should treat loyalty and airport pages as living documents. Hub carriers often reassign banks of gates during multi-year programs even when the public schedule looks unchanged.
If you are building a Chicago layover trip around museums or food, the city guide at Things to Do in Chicago still helps on the ground. The airport news here is about capacity timing inside ORD, not a downtown itinerary rewrite.
How to read the dates without overreacting
Late 2026 is the groundbreaking window, not the opening. Do not rebook a 2026 trip solely because Concourse E work starts.
Rebook only if your airline posts a specific schedule, terminal, or connection change for your itinerary.
Late 2028 is the first hard capacity milestone travelers can plan against with more confidence: Concourse D’s 19 gates. That date is closer for people already buying 2027 and 2028 Chicago tickets.
2030 is the first Concourse E passenger date in the city sequence. Use it when comparing long-horizon Chicago hubs for domestic and preclearance international connections.
2033 and 2034 complete the Global Terminal and the remaining Concourse E gates. Those years matter for anyone designing a multi-year corporate travel program or frequent-flyer home-airport choice around ORD.
Program-wide, Chicago still projects about 14 percent more gate capacity when ORDNext finishes. The exact airline that uses each new gate will be decided later, so watch carrier notices more than architectural renderings.
Confirmed facts versus open construction questions
Confirmed in the city release: late-2026 Concourse E phase 1 groundbreaking intent, 14 gates in 2030, 10 more gates by 2034, Global Terminal completion in 2033 after a 2029 start, Concourse D late-2028 completion, the $8.8 billion ORDNext frame, and the planned tunnel link among the new facilities.
Still open: the exact groundbreaking day inside “later this year,” month-by-month airside closures, temporary shuttle or walkway paths during Global Terminal work, and which airlines will occupy which Concourse E gates at opening.
Also unresolved for readers: how long peak connection times will stretch in 2029 to 2033 while Terminal 2 comes down and the Global Terminal rises. The city says the sequence is meant to protect operations, but live passenger time will still vary by bank and weather.
Carrier pages for United Airlines and American Airlines remain the right place to verify seat maps, same-day standby rules, and club access while gate geography shifts.
The decision rule is simple. Treat this as sequenced capacity news with dated milestones, then verify your own ticket against airline and airport notices as each phase starts.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Connect through ORD in 2026 or 2027 | Keep normal buffers; watch live gate changes from Concourse D work, not a finished Concourse E. |
| Are buying 2028 Chicago tickets | Plan against Concourse D opening late that year and leave extra connection time during active construction. |
| Need long-horizon hub certainty for 2030 | Expect the first 14 Concourse E gates before the Global Terminal opens in 2033. |
| Fly United or American through ORD often | Recheck carrier airport pages each season for temporary gate banks and club moves. |
| Want a Chicago layover day trip | Use the city attractions guide for downtown time, and treat ORD construction as an airport timing issue. |
- Mark late 2026 as Concourse E groundbreaking, not passenger opening.
- Use late 2028 for Concourse D capacity and late 2030 for the first 14 Concourse E gates.
- Expect the Global Terminal construction phase to dominate connection risk from 2029 to 2033.
Chicago’s announcement gives travelers a dated ladder instead of a vague multiyear promise. Keep the milestones on your radar, then let airline notices decide whether any single itinerary needs a change.
When does O’Hare Concourse E break ground?
The City of Chicago says groundbreaking for the first phase is planned later in 2026, without naming an exact calendar day in the August 20 release.
How many Concourse E gates open first?
Phase 1 adds 14 gates targeted for 2030. A later phase adds 10 more gates, for 24 total by 2034.
When is the O’Hare Global Terminal scheduled to open?
Chicago schedules a coordinated Global Terminal construction phase beginning in 2029 with completion in 2033.
Does this change Concourse D’s timeline?
No. The city says Concourse D remains on schedule to complete 19 gates in late 2028.
