anymore, think more, right? So good morning, everybody. Good afternoon. Thank you, Mayor.
Good afternoon. As you all know, I'm Michael McMurray, the Commissioner for the Chicago
Department of Aviation, and it's an honor to be here with you all today and celebrate
another construction milestone here at O'Hare International Airport. As you all know, back
in August, we broke ground on this very, very site, the new Concourse D, the largest
new passenger facility at O'Hare in more than 30 years.
Now, just eight months later, the empty stress of dirt is transformed into the framework
for what will become Concourse D and the foundation, of course, for ORD Next.
And we're not slowing down.
Last spring, we began, this coming spring, we will begin vertical construction on the
new Concourse D. And in the coming weeks, passengers and the planes that pass by will
see a monumental sight, a tower crane erected right here where we're standing, in the middle
of the busiest airfield in the world. That's right. A plane takes off and lands every 37 seconds.
It's a sign of tremendous progress on ORD Next, which represents a complete reimagining
of the airport's core and stands as the largest terminal expansion in O'Hare's history.
And at the center of this, of course, is the O'Hare Global Terminal, which will double the size of the current Terminal 2, add new federal inspection area, and create a seamless connection between domestic and international travel.
Two new concourses, D and E, will connect directly to the Global Terminal.
Concourse D, of course, is expected to open in late 2028.
And, of course, this would not be possible without the commitment and investment of our airline partners, American Airlines and our hometown airline, United, and the hard work of our construction managers and subcontractors.
I want to take this time to thank and acknowledge Omar Idris, Vice President of O'Hare Operations for United Airlines, and Angelis Castro, Managing Director of Corporate Real Estate for American Airlines.
Thank you for all that you do.
And, of course, to my boss, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, thank you for your unwavering support of this department and the city's airports.
We truly would not receive the accolades and recognition that we have if it were not for your collaboration and support.
And you inspire us to think outside the box and you motivate us to do more, not just for our customers, but for the entire city of Chicago.
So thank you, Mayor.
So cheers to building the greatest freaking airport and the greatest freaking city in the world.
And now the best mayor in the world, our mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Thank you, Mayor.
Wow. Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you, Commissioner McMurray, for those kind words and for your leadership.
This week, my administration has been launching construction season with various city departments,
from CDOT's Season of Streetscape Improvement Projects to CTA's L-Station and Bus Turnaround Improvements.
The City of Chicago is modernizing, growing, and working for our people and all of our 77 communities.
Chicago's construction season kickoff continues here at O'Hare today.
with a beam signing ceremony to celebrate the ongoing construction on the new Concourse D,
the first major milestone in O'Hare's historic terminal expansion program, ORD Next.
ORD Next is the largest investment in O'Hare's history,
an $8.2 billion decade-long expansion project
that includes two concourses and a new global terminal.
When completed, Concourse D will feature 19 new gates,
an additional 50,000 square feet of space for more passenger lounges and concessions.
On this phase of construction alone, more than 3,800 construction jobs are being created.
By the end of the ORD next development,
We can expect an additional 90,000 jobs from the combined impact of the construction, supply
chain and consumer demand.
For Chicago, this project means creating good paying jobs, more opportunities for small
businesses, attracting new businesses and creating a more equitable economy that Chicagoans
from all 77 areas can enjoy.
And for our travelers, ORD next means elevated amenities and smoother connections.
And that is important because I'm going to just say this emphatically because there's another mayor that begins to tout a different number in another city trying to claim our spot.
So let me make this very clear to Mayor Dickens of Atlanta, Georgia.
O'Hare International Airport has reclaimed the title of the world's busiest airfield in 2025.
More than 8,000, more than 860,000 takeoffs and landings were recorded in 2025.
A departure or arrival is taking place every 37 seconds.
O'Hare connects nearly 85 million travelers annually to more than 240 destinations around the globe.
It's home to nearly 50 different airline carriers, and it's leading cargo hub handling more than 7% of U.S. trade, equivalent to $423 billion.
The ORD next expansion ensures that O'Hare is meeting its passenger demand and providing a world-class traveler experience.
And this is what sets us apart. This is what makes us a great city.
It's not enough to have the busiest airport in the world.
We need a fully modernized and accessible 21st century airport.
2025 was a high-level construction year, getting us closer to that vision.
And more than a dozen capital projects were underway at O'Hare and Midway airports,
including terminal expansion projects like this one,
as well as upgrades to airfield infrastructure and passenger experience.
In 2025, over $2 billion in active construction was underway at O'Hare, going towards new passenger facilities, the Terminal 5 parking garage, and the groundbreaking of Concourse D.
At Midway, the busiest square mile in aviation, more than $47 million, was invested in 2025 for runway improvements.
And yes, there is more.
These ongoing investments and projects represent the heart of the initiative that I announced last year.
Build Better Together. Build Better Together is centered on three pillars, growth in quality
housing, growth in jobs and innovation, and growth in vibrant cultural neighborhoods.
And construction at our airport is a key way that we are achieving that growth. We have the city's
brightest engineers and architects pouring everything into the project design, and we have
skilled contractors and laborers working hard to bring this vision to life. Let's give it up for
our workers because they're the ones that help move our city forward and of course we have
innovative leadership making sure this project happens safely on time and y'all on budget
and without disruption to our busy busy operations finally together we are putting
people to go to work creating opportunities and posterity and keeping the city moving
i'm grateful to the many leaders partners and workers who are making this growth possible
I want to thank American and United Airlines for their continued commitment to Chicago.
This project is not possible without United and American Airlines.
So thank you to the dozens of contractors and subcontractors rolling up your sleeves each and every day, making sure this project exceeds all expectations.
And finally, thank you to the Department of Aviation and Commissioner McMurray.
It's good to have a public servant with vision, his leadership, and guidance as we take O'Hare to the next level.
So God bless you all and thank you.
And with that, I will now pass the microphone to Mary Parson from Clayco.
Thank you all very much.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Good afternoon.
I echo the sentiments of such a beautiful day.
So they say construction is the art of making impossible look inevitable.
First deal for us in construction is the physical proof of that art.
It is the point where all the planning, all the coordination and hard work so far
and the work happening every day in the field to bring this project to life.
I am proud to be here representing the construction team of AECOM, Hunt, Clayco, and BOA.
Representing this means so much to us because first steel is everything that we get to.
Reaching this point takes discipline in the field, strong coordination across all of our teams,
and a deep, deep, deep commitment to safety, especially in an active airport such as this one.
Milestones like this only happen because of the people behind them,
And there are many teams and trade partners whose work has made this possible.
This project reflects our shared commitment to building to make life better.
For the travelers, we are aiming to create a world-class experience that strengthens Chicago's connection to the globe.
And for our city of Chicago, which we love so much, we are here to strengthen an airport that serves as Chicago's front door
to ensuring O'Hare remains and always remain the global leader for decades to come.
But the community, which is so important to me, we are maximizing the investment to drive strategic initiatives, to create local jobs, foster sustainable economic growth across all of our neighborhoods in Chicago.
So as we look forward, we are excited to the future of this work at O'Hare and the opportunities to come.
We are grateful, Mayor and Commissioner, for the efforts that you make every day to make this possible.
And we welcome the opportunity to continue to support you and your broader vision ahead as O'Hare goes global.
This partnership and experience shared commitment behind this project is the kind of foundation that is needed to continue to carry opportunities well beyond this moment today.
So today, as you sign the beam, I want you to know we are here to celebrate how far this project has come.
But we're also here to recognize the men and women out here every single day helping to move this forward.
I'm so proud of my team's progress, and I'm so proud of the partners that we work with every day
to build this airport, not just for us, but for City of Chicago.
Thank you so much.
And as you sign the beam, we ask that you allow the commissioner and the mayor to sign the beam,
and then you come and sign the beam with us.
Thank you so much.