Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.
Chicago-based United Airlines could finally see its level of traffic at O’Hare move above pre-pandemic levels this summer. The airport as a whole, though, is still lagging behind 2019 levels. United will likely see its total seat capacity climb 3% in July above pre-pandemic levels. That’s according to Chicago Department of Aviation data. That report shows both of Chicago’s airports had strong, steady year-over-year growth. Nearly 74 million passengers traveled through O’Hare last year, a roughly 8% increase over 2022. Midway saw more than 22 million passengers in 2023, a roughly 11% increase. Midway surpassed its pre-pandemic passenger total by 5.5% but O’Hare is still about 13% below the 2019 level.
Also, battery technology company NanoGraf has leased a big warehouse close to its Near West Side headquarters. Listen for more below: