United CEO Blames FAA For O’Hare’s Notorious Taxi Times, Says It's Like "Driving To Milwaukee"

Published Nov 11, 2026, 4:55 AM EST A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Scott Kirby, the Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines, has taken aim at the US Federal Aviation Administration, whose understaffing he blames for long taxi times at its hub at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Kirby believes that getting the airport's air traffic control towers back up to full staffing levels could cut taxi times by several minutes, with these marginal gains soon adding up overall. Such can be the length of taxi times at O'Hare that Kirby has even likened them to "driving to Milwaukee," a city some 79 miles (127 km) from Chicago's main airport. Such a drive would take more than an hour, and, while O'Hare's average taxi times aren't exactly that long, the airport has a reputation for them being lengthier than elsewhere, as backed up by data analysis. Kirby hopes that this can be changed. Kirby's Appeal To The FAA Credit: George Wirt | Shutterstock According to the Chicago Tribune, Scott Kirby made his remarks at an event in the Windy City on Tuesday evening, where he said that "we need to get the FAA fully staffed" when it comes to air traffic control at O'Hare. In addition to reducing taxi times and thus boosting operational efficiency, United's CEO also believes that fully-staffed ATC towers would be "key to unlocking more capacity at O’Hare." Such a boost would be particularly important for United Airlines at a time when it is facing increasing competition from its US 'big three' legacy rival, American Airlines. Michael McMurray, the Chicago Department of Aviation’s Commissioner, concurs with Kirby that "once we’re able to fully staff our airport's South Tower, I think people will see taxi times decrease." The CEO of United Airlines went on to say: "There’s a taxiway problem here at O’Hare. It’s the only airport in the country where aircraft that are taxiing can’t cross runways. That’s why it feels like you’re driving to Milwaukee sometimes." Long Taxi Times Credit: Nathan Klemstein | Shutterstock It's one thing for O'Hare to have a reputation for long taxi times, but another for it to be backed up by cold, hard facts. In any case, the numbers don't lie, with the Chicago Tribune reporting that it takes an average of 20 minutes for inbound flights to reach their gates after landing. The situation is even worse for departing flights, which take an average of 28 minutes to get from the gate to the runway. These figures make O'Hare the worst of the major US hubs on this front. For context, futher analysis by the Chicago Tribune found that, for arriving flights, the next-worst major US hub was Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina. Here, the publication's research found that inbound flights took an average of 14 minutes to get from the runway to the gate. But how much time can be saved? As noted above in comments made by Michael McMurray, the South Tower is a particular sticking point when it comes to understaffing at O'Hare. However, Kirby is optimistic that, should this issue be rectified, meaningful savings of some six to seven minutes could be made. The benefits of these would quickly add up across an operation of United's scale. Simple Flying has contacted the FAA for comment. O'Hare's Taxi Times Are So Notorious That BA Even Hired Specialized Pilots Credit: MKPhoto12 | Shutterstock While United Airlines is the dominant operator at Chicago O'Hare, it is far from the only carrier to have run into issues surrounding the taxi times at the facility. British Airways is another airline that falls under this category, and, as reported by Simple Flying at the time, it even took the extraordinary step of recruiting specialist 'taxi pilots' in Chicago back in May. This role offered a salary of up to $100,000. The airline advertized these positions in an attempt to streamline its operations and improve its operational performance in Chicago, from which it flies twice a day to its main hub at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). It required applicants to hold valid licenses and type ratings for aircraft like the Boeing 777 and 787, with the shift work aligning with BA's flight schedules. This eases pressure on regular flight crews.