Chicago Aviation Thread - 2022

SQ22 · Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:58 pm

Welcome to the Chicago Aviation Thread 2022. Please continue your discussion and to post your news here.

Link to previous thread:

Chicago Aviation Thread - 2021

United787 · Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:35 pm

Any guesses as to when ORD will return to pre-COVID numbers?

Elkadad313 · Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:03 am

United787 wrote:
Any guesses as to when ORD will return to pre-COVID numbers?

If the CDC is as wrong/confused as it was a year ago, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes until 2024 to reach back-to-normal status.

drdisque · Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:42 am

ORD is switching to arriving 4R. Was single runway to 10C so it won't hurt the rate more. Departures currently going off 9R.

ORDLHR787 · Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:10 am

We were on final for 10C at about 6:30 and had to go-around. Ended up landing on 4R just now.

ORDLHR787 · Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:44 am

ORDLHR787 wrote:
We were on final for 10C at about 6:30 and had to go-around. Ended up landing on 4R just now. Whats the point in having eight runways when you only have one open for landing when it snows?.

drdisque · Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:41 am

ORDLHR787 wrote:
We were on final for 10C at about 6:30 and had to go-around. Ended up landing on 4R just now.

I watched that on Radarbox, which flight were you on?

It's really windy.

gabik001 · Sun Jan 02, 2022 5:33 pm

SmartLynx 9H-SMC is on the way to ORD from FAI. ETA 2:50pm
Magma TF-AMP to ORD too. ETA 12:40pm

kordcj · Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:52 pm

ORDLHR787 wrote:
ORDLHR787 wrote:
We were on final for 10C at about 6:30 and had to go-around. Ended up landing on 4R just now. Whats the point in having eight runways when you only have one open for landing when it snows?.

Good question. In heavy snow, how many runways can actually operate at the same time? Did they expand the snow plowing/removal capacity to match the now expansive airfield? Ops plans aren’t so publicly available like master expansion plans unfortunately.

yeogeo · Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:02 pm

gabik001 wrote:
SmartLynx 9H-SMC is on the way to ORD from FAI. ETA 2:50pm

Is that the same outfit - SmartLynx Malta - that your friend flew into RFD with and got stuck there due to pitot problems? (Although it seems to me she was on a A-332). Anyway the same routing through Fairbanks instead of Anchorage... I assume she made it home eventually?

gabik001 wrote:
Magma TF-AMP to ORD too. ETA 12:40pm

ILikeTrains · Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:10 am

Its more of crosswind limitations than the snow itself that causes the shift to using 4R. Not sure how often snow storms come with winds that aren’t east-west favorable.

emcm541 · Tue Jan 04, 2022 2:11 am

Posting this from my phone, so not sure if it will work, but here's an visual of the expanded T5:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSHuyNFpVQ ... =copy_link

Blerg · Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:26 am

emcm541 wrote:
Posting this from my phone, so not sure if it will work, but here's an visual of the expanded T5:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSHuyNFpVQ ... =copy_link

It works, thank you. So what exactly did they do there? Did they just add the section that is perpendicular to the older part of the terminal? How many new gates are added?

AmricanShamrok · Tue Jan 04, 2022 12:33 pm

emcm541 wrote:
Posting this from my phone, so not sure if it will work, but here's an visual of the expanded T5:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSHuyNFpVQ ... =copy_link

Thanks. So how many new gates are now in service at the east end of T5? The last gate was M21 prior to renovations so it looks like they run to M25/M26 now?

ORD2010 · Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:29 pm

around 11 new gates with new concessions and plenty of seating, new jetbridges at the headhouse along with new lounge spaces and new concession as well, eventually new bridges for the west, along with a new bathroom currently being finished up, rearranges TSA entry area, and a new FIS layout with multiple new baggage carousels being phased in.

dopplerd · Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:55 pm

AmricanShamrok wrote:
emcm541 wrote:
Posting this from my phone, so not sure if it will work, but here's an visual of the expanded T5:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSHuyNFpVQ ... =copy_link

Thanks. So how many new gates are now in service at the east end of T5? The last gate was M21 prior to renovations so it looks like they run to M25/M26 now?

Furthest east gate is M22B. M21 and M22 are now divided into A and B so they can each support one widebody or 2 narrows.

gabik001 · Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:31 am

yeogeo wrote:
gabik001 wrote:
SmartLynx 9H-SMC is on the way to ORD from FAI. ETA 2:50pm

Is that the same outfit - SmartLynx Malta - that your friend flew into RFD with and got stuck there due to pitot problems? (Although it seems to me she was on a A-332). Anyway the same routing through Fairbanks instead of Anchorage... I assume she made it home eventually?

Outfit might be the same (except lack of titles). It was FlightService (Maleth Aero) 9H-JFS. She made it home 24 hours later than planned. Anyway, she was at police course for two weeks but later she change her mind and came back to flying. Now she is with BA. I would love to post pictures from her of this bird but don't know how to post here.
So far got pictures of this SmartLynx (LYX6565 9H-SMC) landed on 27C (also got one that landed in poor weather - pictures taken few weeks ago 9H-SMD).

yeogeo · Sat Jan 08, 2022 7:42 pm

A photo by Ivan Voukadinov taken a few weeks ago at RFD had me interested in this aircraft and its operating life.

This is Air Atlanta Icelandic’s TF-AAK operated as part of the Saudia cargo fleet.

She was delivered to Air France in 2003 operating out of CDG as F-GITH until 2015…

…when Air Atlanta Icelandic picked the craft up and has leased it (along with two other 747-400’s) to Saudi Arabia Airlines, previously under Saudi colors…

...then converted to plain white body and blue tail seen at top -which often shows gold flecks of the Saudi logo beneath.

She’s been doing cargo runs, 15 roundtrips since November alone, operating RFD-ANC-ICN-HAN-SGN-ICN-ANC-RFD with occasional small variations.

Today she returned to home base KEF from Seoul and is scheduled to hop over to PIK later today… time for some maintenance and another touchup on the tail?

But it is in the past that this hard-working aircraft had it’s moment of fame which turned the aircraft spotting crowd bananas (as far as spotters can get bananas - which is pretty far) when, in late February 2016, she became “Ed Force One” the Brit Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden’s ride for The Book of Souls World Tour.

These guys were not slouches: The Book of Souls went Gold and Platinum in twenty countries. Ed Force one was flown by the lead singer of Iron Maiden at the time, Bruce Dickinson. (He also undertook a career as a commercial pilot for the short-lived Astraeus Airlines).

TF-AAK saw them play concerts in 35 countries. (She came to Chicago -it says so on the nose of the craft. Presumably she was at O’Hare but A-Net photo data base can’t prove it).

She also experienced a run-in with a tug in SCL which cased her to delay the tour for 10 days with damage to two engines, whose repairs were diligently recorded by spotters of course.

Featured on her tail then was Maiden's mascot, Eddie, “a perennial fixture in the band's science fiction and horror-influenced album cover art… Originally a papier-mâché mask incorporated in their backdrop which would squirt fake blood during their live shows.”

During the few months of this phase of her life captions to her photos are an interesting read.
Rei U,. - Japan: “After retiring from Air France, this jumbo got a great job: flying around the globe under the control of a superstar!… I’m glad to meet many fellow spotters not only from various places in [Japan] but even also from other parts of the world!”

Another caption from a spotter at YYZ: “Shutting down on J taxiway, Atlanta 666 is…greeted by hundreds of spotters and airport personal. Even the Pearson Airport Fire Department and and wildlife control crews came out to grab a quick photo.”

In the five months she wore this livery there are roughly 150 photographs of TF-AAK in the A-net database alone and its telling that for the other 7 months of 2016, when she was in Saudi Colors, there is only one image of her on A-net.

For her plain looks today she has quite the history. Glad she's still flying!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Maiden

gabik001 · Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:52 pm

yeogeo wrote:
A photo by Ivan Voukadinov taken a few weeks ago at RFD had me interested in this aircraft and its operating life.

This is Air Atlanta Icelandic’s TF-AAK operated as part of the Saudia cargo fleet.

She was delivered to Air France in 2003 operating out of CDG as F-GITH until 2015…

…when Air Atlanta Icelandic picked the craft up and has leased it (along with two other 747-400’s) to Saudi Arabia Airlines, previously under Saudi colors…

...then converted to plain white body and blue tail seen at top -which often shows gold flecks of the Saudi logo beneath.

She’s been doing cargo runs, 15 roundtrips since November alone, operating RFD-ANC-ICN-HAN-SGN-ICN-ANC-RFD with occasional small variations.

Today she returned to home base KEF from Seoul and is scheduled to hop over to PIK later today… time for some maintenance and another touchup on the tail?

But it is in the past that this hard-working aircraft had it’s moment of fame which turned the aircraft spotting crowd bananas (as far as spotters can get bananas - which is pretty far) when, in late February 2016, she became “Ed Force One” the Brit Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden’s ride for The Book of Souls World Tour.

These guys were not slouches: The Book of Souls went Gold and Platinum in twenty countries. Ed Force one was flown by the lead singer of Iron Maiden at the time, Bruce Dickinson. (He also undertook a career as a commercial pilot for the short-lived Astraeus Airlines).

TF-AAK saw them play concerts in 35 countries. (She came to Chicago -it says so on the nose of the craft. Presumably she was at O’Hare but A-Net photo data base can’t prove it).

She also experienced a run-in with a tug in SCL which cased her to delay the tour for 10 days with damage to two engines, whose repairs were diligently recorded by spotters of course.

Featured on her tail then was Maiden's mascot, Eddie, “a perennial fixture in the band's science fiction and horror-influenced album cover art… Originally a papier-mâché mask incorporated in their backdrop which would squirt fake blood during their live shows.”

During the few months of this phase of her life captions to her photos are an interesting read.
Rei U,. - Japan: “After retiring from Air France, this jumbo got a great job: flying around the globe under the control of a superstar!… I’m glad to meet many fellow spotters not only from various places in [Japan] but even also from other parts of the world!”

Another caption from a spotter at YYZ: “Shutting down on J taxiway, Atlanta 666 is…greeted by hundreds of spotters and airport personal. Even the Pearson Airport Fire Department and and wildlife control crews came out to grab a quick photo.”

In the five months she wore this livery there are roughly 150 photographs of TF-AAK in the A-net database alone and its telling that for the other 7 months of 2016, when she was in Saudi Colors, there is only one image of her on A-net.

For her plain looks today she has quite the history. Glad she's still flying!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Maiden

Got her during our Dec. 21 RFD airside tour. Piece of history behind her. Got her in few paint schemes: Saudia, Iron Maiden and blank Air Atlanta.

yeogeo · Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:02 pm

gabik001 wrote:
yeogeo wrote:

Got her during our Dec. 21 RFD airside tour. Piece of history behind her. Got her in few paint schemes: Saudia, Iron Maiden and blank Air Atlanta.

Where did you get the Iron Maiden? O'Hare?

yeogeo · Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:12 pm

A couple of recent bid requests via email from the CDA…
The one on the left tasks T-5 improvements, mostly unspecified, but including a bridge from the terminal to the proposed parking garage.
The one on the right refers to an additional taxiway next to twy. NN1 needed to facilitate access to the NE Cargo Facility ...Another construction site on the field to look for, probably next summer or fall.

https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2113/0016 ... ddest=(ORD)

bhxdtw · Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:25 pm

Anyone know if NZ are still planning on launching AKL?

yeogeo · Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:40 pm

bhxdtw wrote:
Anyone know if NZ are still planning on launching AKL?

Resuming you mean... FWIW Cranky Flier posted September for NZ back at O'Hare, but you know how "fluid" things are these days.

bhxdtw · Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:01 am

Ahh yes a resumption.
Ok well fingers crossed.

amtravels · Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:21 am

New seating and removal of existing gate agent desks and fixtures at all gates in ORD T1 looks to be nearly complete. All new flooring and floor box outlets in the gate areas too. Should be a lot more room for pax in this new configuration. Took pics on Thursday but not sure how to post properly!

jcwr56 · Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:58 pm

Did someone mention ORD and Iron Maiden?

Taken April 6, 2016 at 14:07 on its way to the Hardstands. Inside was just a regular plane and the band members were totally down to earth folks when meeting them. They flew in the same day as the concert was later in the evening at the United Center.

yeogeo · Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:09 pm

Schedules now reflect BA flight #294 as operating A380 ORD-LHR starting June 1 and continuing through October 29.
The later evening BA flight #296 is consistently shown as 787-10 through mid-September when 777's take over.

yeogeo · Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:13 pm

jcwr56 wrote:

Did someone mention ORD and Iron Maiden? Taken April 6, 2016 at 14:07 on its way to the Hardstands. Inside was just a regular plane and the band members were totally down to earth folks when meeting them. They flew in the same day as the concert was later in the evening at the United Center.

Thanks for the proof! Nice shot!

gabik001 · Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:14 pm

yeogeo wrote:
gabik001 wrote:
yeogeo wrote:

Got her during our Dec. 21 RFD airside tour. Piece of history behind her. Got her in few paint schemes: Saudia, Iron Maiden and blank Air Atlanta.

Where did you get the Iron Maiden? O'Hare?

Yep. It was few years back when Iron Maiden was on a world tour. Got just arrival, departure was what I remember after sunset.

se210 · Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:58 am

Friday Fiesta at ORD!

6 Mexican airline flights from GDL/MEX due in ORD tonight from 10:45pm to midnight...

GDL-ORD

MEX-ORD

Remember when we just had this one Mexican airline at ORD...

drdisque · Sat Jan 15, 2022 4:43 am

I listen to these flights come in every night when I go to bed when ORD is in West flow.

Planeboy17 · Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:10 am

Absolutely love the old Mexicana gold stripe livery!

Trioer · Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:57 pm

drdisque wrote:
I listen to these flights come in every night when I go to bed when ORD is in West flow.

Same here. And all the late night cargo. Summer time is great, can just sit on the porch and watch em come in. Living in Elgin sometimes has its perks I guess.

se210 · Sun Jan 16, 2022 11:47 am

First time to ORD with the new Stopover Hola Madrid sticker for Iberia A330 EC-MKI (IB6275) due in around 2PM today...
flightrader24.com - IB6275 - Jan 16,2022

EC-MKI sported the Iberia 70th Anniversary for flights to Latin America (70 años en Iberoamérica) sticker back in 2016-2017...

se210 · Mon Jan 17, 2022 1:14 pm

It has been a while since we have seen an Airbus A318 at any Chicago-area airports. 9H-ICE (A318-112/CJ) arrived this morning at MDW from IEV (Kiev-Zhuliany,Ukraine) via KEF (Keflavik, Iceland)...

flightrader24.com - Avcon Jet Malta - 9H-ICE
ADS-B Exchange -DCW1 (9H-ICE) - IEV-KEF-MDW 01/17/22

emcm541 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:18 am

F9 is returning to MDW. https://twitter.com/IshrionA/status/148 ... 20835?s=20

Also being discussed here: viewtopic.php?p=23132421#p23132421

yeogeo · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:13 pm

emcm541 wrote:
F9 is returning to MDW. https://twitter.com/IshrionA/status/148 ... 20835?s=20

Also being discussed here: viewtopic.php?p=23132421#p23132421

Wow! That's a major incursion!
ATL
DFW
DEN
FLL
LAS
MCO
ONT
PHX
TPA
TTN

Wondering how many gates at MDW this will take and if ORD will continue as is.

yeogeo · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:21 pm

Mexicana addressed the MDW gate situation (from above mentioned thread):

Mexicana757 wrote:
Planeboy17 wrote:
Does MDW have the gates for this?

Yes they do. There should be about four gates available. At the moment no one is using the three gates on concourse C. Only time they get used is for DL sport charters. And I believe A10 is open which is DL gate but DL hasn't used this gate since 2020. Before the pandemic DL was operating out of four gates(A5, A7, A10, A12) but currently only uses two gates A5 and A7. Allegiant is using gate A12.

emcm541 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:52 pm

yeogeo wrote:
emcm541 wrote:
F9 is returning to MDW. https://twitter.com/IshrionA/status/148 ... 20835?s=20

Also being discussed here: viewtopic.php?p=23132421#p23132421

Wow! That's a major incursion!
ATL
DFW
DEN
FLL
LAS
MCO
ONT
PHX
TPA
TTN

Wondering how many gates at MDW this will take and if ORD will continue as is.

I'll keep my eyes open on this; towards the beginning of the separate thread, there was a rumor (again, this is just a rumor) that the ORD station might close or co-domicile.

emcm541 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:06 pm

Was at ORD for a flight on UA for the first time since this whole covid thing started. I noticed that at the baggage claim in T1 there are barriers between the actual claim area and the main walkway/exits. I forgot to grab a picture, as I thought they were the dumbest thing ever. Have they always been there and I had forgotten or are these new?

panam330 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:24 pm

emcm541 wrote:
Was at ORD for a flight on UA for the first time since this whole covid thing started. I noticed that at the baggage claim in T1 there are barriers between the actual claim area and the main walkway/exits. I forgot to grab a picture, as I thought they were the dumbest thing ever. Have they always been there and I had forgotten or are these new?

If you’re talking about the metal railings, yeah they have been, and they’re rather pointless and restrict flow.

Manderson12 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:45 pm

yeogeo wrote:
emcm541 wrote:
F9 is returning to MDW. https://twitter.com/IshrionA/status/148 ... 20835?s=20

Also being discussed here: viewtopic.php?p=23132421#p23132421
With this size of MDW expansion, probably at the expense of ORD, does that open the door for someone like Breeze?

Wow! That's a major incursion!
ATL
DFW
DEN
FLL
LAS
MCO
ONT
PHX
TPA
TTN

Wondering how many gates at MDW this will take and if ORD will continue as is.

emcm541 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:49 pm

panam330 wrote:
emcm541 wrote:
Was at ORD for a flight on UA for the first time since this whole covid thing started. I noticed that at the baggage claim in T1 there are barriers between the actual claim area and the main walkway/exits. I forgot to grab a picture, as I thought they were the dumbest thing ever. Have they always been there and I had forgotten or are these new?

If you’re talking about the metal railings, yeah they have been, and they’re rather pointless and restrict flow.

Yes, those things. They seem to add no value at all.

emcm541 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:28 pm

emcm541 wrote:
yeogeo wrote:
emcm541 wrote:
F9 is returning to MDW. https://twitter.com/IshrionA/status/148 ... 20835?s=20

Also being discussed here: viewtopic.php?p=23132421#p23132421

Wow! That's a major incursion!
ATL
DFW
DEN
FLL
LAS
MCO
ONT
PHX
TPA
TTN

Wondering how many gates at MDW this will take and if ORD will continue as is.

I'll keep my eyes open on this; towards the beginning of the separate thread, there was a rumor (again, this is just a rumor) that the ORD station might close or co-domicile.

From the separate thread, available here: viewtopic.php?p=23133313#p23133313

"Sounds like (per the pilot forums… so major caveat) F9 is closing the ORD pilot base and co-domiciling FAs between ORD and MDW. Interesting move…ORD is also bookable as far as the schedule goes so they likely are planning some level of activity."

Iggy500 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:20 pm

If F9 ends up ditching ORD completely, it's possible that B6 can add ORD-MCO. With the route having about the same amount of competition as ORD-FLL (in terms of airlines flying the route), MCO's South Terminal C opening soon, and B6 looking into expanding their MCO operations as soon as the terminal opens, it would be a no-brainer.

Crosswind787 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:29 pm

The Tribune article announcing this news states F9 will split ops with ORD focus on Mexico and Caribbean routes while MDW will be mostly domestic routes

yeogeo · Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:42 pm

Crosswind787 wrote:
The Tribune article announcing this news states F9 will split ops with ORD focus on Mexico and Caribbean routes while MDW will be mostly domestic routes

https://herald-review.com/news/state-an ... 791f7.html

F9 starting MDW on April 28 with Orlando and Fort Lauderdale added in October.

ORDfan · Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:50 am

emcm541 wrote:
Was at ORD for a flight on UA for the first time since this whole covid thing started. I noticed that at the baggage claim in T1 there are barriers between the actual claim area and the main walkway/exits. I forgot to grab a picture, as I thought they were the dumbest thing ever. Have they always been there and I had forgotten or are these new?

I noticed it most of the gates were done in early Dec, last time I flew out. I'm glad they kept the carpet, I think it's a nice touch within the confines of those gate areas.

ORDfan · Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:52 am

Iggy500 wrote:
If F9 ends up ditching ORD completely, it's possible that B6 can add ORD-MCO. With the route having about the same amount of competition as ORD-FLL (in terms of airlines flying the route), MCO's South Terminal C opening soon, and B6 looking into expanding their MCO operations as soon as the terminal opens, it would be a no-brainer.

I'm happy to see them back at MDW, but was wondering the same thing: if this will be the beginning of the end for their ORD ops? Guess we'll see, but for now, so happy to see some fresh tails at MDW!

Nov pax data posted by CDA last week, btw:

https://www.flychicago.com/SiteCollecti ... UMMARY.pdf

https://www.flychicago.com/SiteCollecti ... UMMARY.pdf

yeogeo · Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:07 am

The OMP paying off: O'Hare has been steadily improving its on-time percentage.

Of the 30 US "Major Airports", ORD has dropped out of the top 10 most delayed in the latest stats by the BTS.
O'Hare now stands at #14 most delayed (82.92% on-time) with MDW at #8 most delayed (81.59% on-time).
https://www.transtats.bts.gov/OT_Delay/ ... 1.asp?20=E

30 US major a/p most delayed to least delayed, October 2020 - October 2021:
DFW-FLL-EWR-MCO-DEN-TPA-JFK-MDW-LAS-BWI-IAH-MIA-PHL-ORD-BOS-IAD-SAN-PHX-PDX-LAX-LGA-DCA-SFO-SEA-SLC-CLT-HNL-DTW-MSP-ATL

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