O’Hare once again nation’s busiest airport

O’Hare Airport has edged out Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport as the nation’s busiest — the first time since 2014, according to new data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Total arrivals plus departures at O’Hare topped 900,000 — the first time since 2014, according to the FAA.

O’Hare’s traffic in 2018 — 903,747 flights — was up 4.2 percent compared with 2017.

Midway Airport handled a total of 243,322 flights, down 3.2 percent, making the airport the 26th busiest in the nation.

“Chicago is proud to be the home of the best connected airport in the U.S., and now the busiest airport for total flights, as well,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

“The record number of passengers in 2018 is a testament to the investments we are making to build Chicago’s aviation future. With more people visiting Chicago every year, our modernization programs at O’Hare and Midway will keep passengers connected to our two leading gateway airports, and will fuel new opportunities for the City and the region for years to come.”

Air cargo flown through Chicago also reached a new high in 2018, with about 1.87 metric tons handled at O’Hare. That is a 5.7 percent increase from 2017.