CHICAGO – The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is reassuring travelers and the broad community of airport employees that their health, safety, and well-being remain our highest priority, and that we’ve taken steps in accordance with public health guidance to ensure the safest possible airport environment over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period and beyond. Additionally, travelers are

reminded that a mask that covers both the nose and mouth, as well as maintaining a safe social distance from anyone not in your immediate traveling party, is required inside the airports.

“There is no greater priority at Chicago’s airports than providing a safe and secure environment for travelers and employees alike, and we have been working diligently with airlines and other stakeholders for several months to address the

new realities of traveling amid a global pandemic,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. “In these unique times, travelers also need to understand they have a role to play, and are required to wear a face covering and practice social distancing at the airports.”

Before heading to the airport, travelers are encouraged to view two new videos, produced by CDA in conjunction with our partners at Choose Chicago:

• The New Passenger Experience
•  Five Things to Know Before You Go

Additionally, a dedicated COVID-19 microsite exists on flychicago.com/covid that explains all the measures CDA has taken to ensure you can travel confidently.

From the earliest days of the pandemic, when O’Hare was designated a feeder airport for enhanced screening of travelers returning from COVID hotspots, CDA has been in close contact with federal and public health partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), and strictly adheres to their recommendations to combat COVID-19. These measures include:

• enhanced cleaning and sanitation of all surfaces in accordance with all CDC
• guidance;
• ventilation that exceeds CDC recommendations;
• installation of hundreds of new hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the airports, as well as hundreds of plexiglass barriers to ensure passenger and employee safety;
• placement of hundreds of social distancing markers on floors in areas where lines form;
• public address announcements in English, Spanish, and Polish.

CDA has also launched a Customer Service Ambassador program with the goal of providing passengers with a positive and helpful experience in the terminals. Dozens of airport employees at both O’Hare and Midway have volunteered in this capacity, spending more than 2,200 hours monitoring the terminals and providing friendly reminders to wear face coverings and encouraging social distancing. These vest-wearing, sign-yielding ambassadors have distributed more than 5,200 masks so far.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

To prepare for a trip to or from Chicago airports, travelers should know that:

• all travelers, staff and guests over the age of two entering O’Hare or Midway are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth while in the
• terminals, and
• at least six-feet (2m) of distance should be maintained between others. CDA
• promotes social distancing and other protective measures with floor decals, static and digital signage, and PA announcements in multiple languages.

To be in the holiday spirit, both airports are festively decked out, with holiday trees at O’Hare that have been decorated by some of Chicago’s prominent cultural institutions, including the American Indian Center, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

CONCESSIONS/AMENITIES

Food, beverages and essentials are available at both airports. While not all concessions are open at this time, travelers can plan ahead by checking the status of their favorite spot by visiting  flychicago.com/covid.

Additionally, contactless payment options are available, and plexiglass dividers have been installed for safety. CDA has removed seating in concession areas to ensure

that tables are socially distanced, and the use of reusable menus and self-serve condiments have been discontinued.

Airline lounge hours and operations may vary, so please confirm that information with your airline.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

CDA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) encourage passengers to arrive at the airport two hours before domestic departures and three hours ahead of international departures to ensure adequate time for ticketing, baggage check, security screening and travel to the airline gate.

Train service on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) via the Orange and Blue Lines provides passengers an affordable, efficient route between downtown and the airports, with service offered 24/7. Travelers are advised that during the overnight hours, Blue Line service toward Downtown departs from the Rosemont CTA station. A shuttle to Rosemont is available from the Bus and Shuttle Center.

For passenger pick-up, drivers are reminded it is illegal to stand along airport and surrounding roadways and shoulders. Drivers are encouraged to utilize airport cell phone lots, as well as the convenient hourly parking garages, which allows drivers to park for up to one hour for $3 at O’Hare and $5 at Midway.

Both airports feature ample public parking capacity. Midway will feature message board display signs directing passengers to access available parking off of Cicero Avenue and will also provide shuttle service to move passengers quickly and efficiently to the terminal.

Additional signage is being utilized throughout the new checkpoint area to guide travelers through the new configuration. Traffic updates are also available on Midway’s ParkNet Radio Station (1630 AM) within one-mile radius of airport.

Travelers bound for Chicago’s airports this holiday season can make the most informed decisions about how to access any of the above airport services by visiting CDA’s website at  www.FlyChicago.com. The website also contains real-time information on flights, regular updates on traffic and weather, real-time taxicab wait times, and other special alerts for the traveling public.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The public is reminded that access to airport terminals at both O’Hare and Midway

International Airports is restricted at all times to ticketed passengers, those assisting passengers, badged employees, and others with legitimate airport business.

By order of the Mayor and Public Health Commissioner, anyone coming into the City of Chicago from a state designated with a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19 is subject to an emergency travel order and may be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours prior to arrival, quarantine for a period of 14 days, or both. For more information on the City’s travel order, as well as the current status of each U.S. state/territory, visit chicago.gov/eto.

WATCH NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE VIDEO BELOW