American Airlines has come out swinging. A day after United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he was « drawing a line in the sand » and would add “as many flights as are required” to prevent American Airlines from obtaining more gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), the Fort Worth-based carrier has responded. Not in words, but in actions, which will surely only escalate the ongoing turf war in the Windy City.

American Airlines has announced today that it will be adding three new routes at ORD later this year. This is on top of the increase of 168 average daily flights that the carrier has already launched in Chicago versus this time last year. And just to add some spice to its slap-back, American is also adding two new routes from another shared hub that were previously served exclusively by the Chicago-based carrier.

The Battle Over Gates At ORD

Both United and American have long operated hubs at Chicago O’Hare, with ch-aviation data showing that United holds about 50% of weekly capacity, versus American with just over 30%. United reportedly earned about $500 million in Chicago last year, so both carriers want to grow their share of one of the most lucrative markets in the US. But their growth is constrained by the number of gates they can access.

Gate allocation at O’Hare is allocated annually based on the volume of flights an airline operates. Last year, the city-led reallocation awarded United five additional gates while reducing American’s count by four. While American unsuccessfully challenged that in court, it did minimize the loss by purchasing two gates from Spirit Airlines in December. Both carriers are now aggressively adding flights at ORD as they position themselves to secure or expand their gate access with the 2026 gate allocations.

During United Airlines’ 2025 fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Kirby specifically addressed the battle in Chicago, saying:

“In 2026, we are drawing a line in the sand. We are not going to allow them [American Airlines] to win a single gate at our expense. We are going to add as many flights as are required to keep our gate count the same in Chicago.”

Less than 24 hours later, American Airlines responded by announcing three new routes at ORD, throwing down the gauntlet to its rival and making it clear it is not backing away from the fight.

The Details Of The New Routes

The first new Chicago-based routes to launch will be to Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, South Carolina. These will both operate twice-daily with Embraer 170 regional aircraft. United currently operates both routes exclusively, with 2–3 daily flights using E170s and CRJ-500s, so American will be bringing some welcome competition to the market for travelers from these secondary cities.

Later this year, American Airlines will also start a seasonal, daily service to Kahului in Hawaii using a Boeing 787-8, again competing directly with United, which currently operates the route exclusively using a Boeing 787-10. Brian Znotins, American’s SVP of network planning, said that the airline is choosing to add the route because of its popularity with winter sun-seekers:

« Kahului is one of the most-visited leisure destinations for Chicagoans in winter, and American’s nonstop service will offer Flagship Business with lie-flat seats, and Premium Economy choices for customers looking for premium seat options. »

In another jab at United, American Airlines has also announced that it will be launching new transcontinental service from Los Angeles International Airport to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in April. It is not lost on anyone that American has chosen another shared hub in the form of LAX, destinations that are a Midwest focus city and a major East Coast hub for United, and routes that United has served exclusively to date.

Who Will Win The Turf War?

The battle between American and United at ORD dates back to the 1980s, but really flared up when Kirby joined United from American in 2016. Since then, United built back more quickly at ORD after the pandemic, while American focused on its sunbelt hubs. This has given United the advantage for now, with nearly 100 gates and a 50% market share, and it has enthusiastically touted itself as the « hometown airline » with the larger network.

However, American is not without its own strengths, and it strongly believes there is enough of a market for two large carriers to operate profitably. Its biggest strength is that it operates the world’s largest narrowbody fleet, and has an advantage of more than 100 aircraft over United when its mainline narrowbodies and regional fleet are combined. This allows greater opportunity and flexibility to add routes like Allentown and Columbia, boosting its flight numbers at ORD to support its claim for more gates.

But the biggest winners of the turf war will undoubtedly be passengers, whether traveling to/from Chicago or using it as a connection point. United’s hubs in Washington DC and San Francisco, where it dominates airport traffic, are renowned as the two most expensive airports to fly from in the US. By contrast, the competition American faces at ORD has led to that airport’s average ticket price actually falling by 3.8% last year, and that trend will only continue if the turf war heats up.