The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is proud to announce that Global Traveler (GT) magazine has named O’Hare International Airport as the "Best Airport in North America” for the 19th consecutive year and “Best Airport Dining” for the third consecutive year. Midway International Airport was also named “Best Family-Friendly Domestic Airport” by Wherever Family, a division of Global Traveler. The travel and lifestyle magazine for international business travelers revealed their Reader Survey winners at an awards reception held last night in Los Angeles.

“O’Hare is a world-class airport and a premiere gateway to Chicago for the rest of the world that continues to modernize and grow to meet the needs of the traveling public,” Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said. “I’m thrilled that Global Traveler’s readers are recognizing our superior travel experience and dining options, and I look forward to continued improvements at both of Chicago’s airports.”

"On behalf of Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, all of us at the Chicago Department of Aviation are honored that Global Traveler’s readers continue to recognize their positive travel experiences at O'Hare,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. “Critical investments and ongoing improvements to the travel experience at both O’Hare and Midway will ensure that Chicagoans and visitors alike can enjoy world-class dining, shopping, passenger amenities and family-friendly facilities for decades to come.”

The award rounds out a strong year for O’Hare, which was also named the most connected “megahub” airport in the world this September by aviation research firm OAG. This is O’Hare’s first return to the top spot in OAG’s rankings since 2016.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined Mayor Lightfoot and Commissioner Rhee at O'Hare to announce that an FAA environmental review found there is "no significant impact" of the proposed Terminal Area Plan (TAP) from the CDA, paving the way to start construction on two new satellite concourses at O'Hare, the new O'Hare Global Terminal that will replace Terminal 2, and other associated projects.

The TAP is a critical component of O'Hare 21, an ongoing investment in the airport's terminals that will further support the breadth of air service that makes O'Hare one of the world's busiest airports. The FAA's decision clears the way for construction to begin on the satellite concourses and related airfield work when the ground thaws this spring.

Another major component of O’Hare 21, the $1 billion expansion and modernization of Terminal 5, is nearing completion. This October, Delta Air Lines shifted operations from its longtime home in Terminal 2 to newly renovated gates in Terminal 5 and opened its brand new Sky Club lounge. Seven new permanent gates have opened in the terminal since June, with additional gates, renovations and amenities opening in phases through 2023. Crews broke ground in June on a new, six-story parking garage at Terminal 5 that will more than double the number of spaces available at the terminal when it opens in 2024.

The results of GT magazine’s Reader Survey Awards are currently out in its December issue.