American Airlines has opened a new hangar at its hub at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on January 25. The new facility, dubbed Hangar 2, is the largest hangar on the airfield at ORD, and its completion marks the carrier’s latest milestone reached in a series of major investments in Chicago.
The US$215 million investment in the new hangar and ground equipment building is the latest example in a long list of investments in ORD, including: American’s five new gates known as the L-Stinger, representing the first new gates at the airport in 25 years; a new Flagship Lounge; renovated Admirals Club lounges; and an expanding list of new destinations added to the ORD route network. These improvements set the framework for American to continue to grow its operation in Chicago and throughout the network.
The 191,000-ft², which is replacing a smaller hangar on the airfield, has increased bay capacity. The hangar is able to accommodate six narrowbody aircraft or two narrowbody aircraft and two widebody aircraft, including the Boeing 787, on which American operates international flights at ORD. The expanded space has allowed for more overnight workload capacity in the past month that it’s been open. Its high-tech features and updated workcenters provide more than 850 ORD maintenance team members with the most current tools to maintain the airline’s state-of-the-art aircraft.
