A Day In American's Line Operations At Chicago O'Hare

Production support and control handles records control.

American Airlines’ sheet metal room.

Oxygen servicing, with hydrostatic tests, is unique to American’s Chicago O’Hare operation.

American has an engine change crew and access the spare GEnx, CFM56 and JT8 spare engines here.

A Boeing 787 in for routine light maintenance.

American’s hub control center is located in a tower at O’Hare. This bustling place full of large monitors tracks aircraft movement and vendor partners, such as catering.

The ETOPS check on this aircraft, American Airlines nose wheel 8AW (American’s 23rd because its first is labeled 8AA).

Three mechanics are assigned to each ETOPS check, which must be performed at the gate.

The architectural firm Ghafari designed American Airlines’ new Hangar 2 at Chicago O’Hare. Maintenance technicians will be able to access power, air and water at the floor by each aircraft.

The concrete ramp and steel erection for the new Hangar 2 should be finished this fall.

Getting from the terminal to American’s two hangars requires driving over active taxiways, as does going between the current Hangar 1 and Hangar 2. After the new second hangar is finished next year, the facilities will be adjacent—connected by a two-story connector building that will house spares—so no more active taxiway between the hangars.