United Airlines is determined to humble American Airlines as they battle for dominance at Chicago O’Hare Airport.
Mike Leskinen, United’s chief financial officer, said at a Barclays conference on Wednesday that American operates a hub there only “temporarily.”
“Everybody is switching from American to United,” he added.
Chicago is a valuable hub for airlines because its Midwest location makes it a useful connection point to other cities across the country. Last year, it saw more aircraft take off and land than any other US airport.
Chicago’s 9.5 million metro population and status as a major financial center also mean there are plenty of passengers seeking premium seats, which turn a healthy profit for airlines.
About 40% of passengers at O’Hare fly with United, compared to 23% with American, according to the latest data from the Department of Transportation.
United is planning to expand its presence in the Windy City.
Late last month, it announced five new routes from O’Hare and said it would add additional flights on existing routes. That will bring its total to 750 daily flights this summer — about 200 more than American, it said.
American has said it added 180 destinations from O’Hare over the past year.
“There’s a lot of capacity being added to Chicago, but not all capacity is created equal,” Leskinen told the conference.
“We made a nice profit last year in Chicago,” he added. “The other guy that’s adding so much capacity is not.”
Deutsche Bank analysts estimated that American is operating at a negative 9% margin at O’Hare, and that United’s margin is 5%.
United is also working to acquire two gates at the airport through Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy proceedings.
In an internal memo seen by Business Insider, Omar Idris, United’s vice president for O’Hare, said the gates will provide “the flexibility we need to keep growing responsibly and to continue building an operation that reflects the leadership position United holds in this city.”
And CEO Scott Kirby said in last month’s earnings call, “We’re drawing a line in the sand. We are not going to allow them [American] to win a single gate at our expense in 2026.”
American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
In recent years, American has lagged behind its rivals, United and Delta Air Lines.
For 2025, it reported a pre-tax profit of $352 million, down 80% from the year before. United’s adjusted pre-tax profit was $4.6 billion, and Delta Air Lines’ $5 billion for the year.
In part, this is because American has struggled to attract as many premium customers. Since the pandemic, more US travellers have been spending extra on luxury experiences.
“Not only do we have a better hard product, but we have the schedule, and we have the connectivity, we have the clubs,” United CFO Leskinen said on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, American announced a new lounge at O’Hare to replace its existing one, but didn’t mention a planned opening date.
The airline’s recent struggles have drawn ire from its workers. Its flight attendants’ union has issued a vote of no confidence in American’s leadership and held a protest outside its Fort Worth headquarters.
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