A gentle hum fills the air. That sound is the sound of thousands of travelers bustling through Concourse F at O’Hare International Airport.
Concourse F is part of Terminal 2. This concourse plays a vital role in connecting people to destinations around the globe.
O’Hare International Airport has a rich history. It started as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54 Skymasters during World War II. The site was known as Orchard Place. It needed easy access to Chicago’s workforce. Also, it needed its railroads and location far from enemy threat.
After the war, Douglas considered building airliners there. However, they chose to concentrate civil production in California. The complex then became Orchard Field Airport. It was assigned the IATA code ORD.
In 1949, the city renamed it O’Hare Airport. This honored Edward “Butch” O’Hare. He was a U.S. Navy flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient. Yet the IATA code ORD remained.
Scheduled passenger service began in 1955. However, growth was slow initially. Midway remained the world’s busiest airport. Airlines were reluctant to move.
Improvements attracted airlines over time. O’Hare’s first international terminal opened in August 1958. By April 1959, the airport had expanded. It now had new hangars, terminals, parking, and other facilities.
New Terminals 2 and 3 opened on January 1, 1962. Concourse F is part of Terminal 2.
The biggest factor driving airlines to O’Hare was the jet airliner. Midway had no space for the runways that jets needed. In July 1962, the last fixed-wing scheduled airline flight moved from Midway to O’Hare.
O’Hare quickly became the world’s busiest airport. It served 10 million passengers annually. Within two years, that number doubled. O’Hare remained the world’s busiest airport until 1998.
Today, O’Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world. It has non-stop flights to many destinations.
As you walk through Concourse F. You can sense the constant activity. Travelers rush to their gates. The shops buzz with customers. The restaurants fill with hungry passengers. Concourse F connects people. It is a vital part of O’Hare. It helps to ensure that O’Hare remains a leading international airport. It stands as a testament to Chicago’s global connectivity.