Sneak Peek of American Airlines’ New ORD Hangar

O’Neill Construction, the general contractor for American Airlines’ new Hangar 2 at Chicago O’Hare, during a morning safety and planning briefing. This room will be converted to an employee break room at the end of the project.

This “connector building” literally is wedged between American’s existing Hangar 1 and the new Hangar 2. The two-story building will house things such as tools, parts and seats. (The connector building used to be a driveway.)

This room in the connector building will house aircraft recovery equipment such as inflatable bags, trench equipment and supports. American Airlines has this type of equipment located in three places in the U.S., with O’Hare being its central location.

The area that will become the production control office on the west side of the new hangar.

American Airlines hopes to open the new Hangar 2 on Dec. 1. The total project cost is $240 million.

The ceiling features a foam fire suppression system (seen by the red circles) and overhead cranes that will lift heavy components such as windows. Right now the airline has to rent cranes about twice a month at O’Hare to perform tasks such as window changes.

The new Hangar 2 will be able to simultaneously accommodate six narrowbody aircraft or two widebodies, such as Boeing 787s or 777-300s, and one narrowbody.

“Being able to house two additional widebodies will be a big benefit for us,” says Dave Orban, American Airlines' director of aircraft maintenance at ORD.

The JLG Ultra Boom’s tires are covered in booties to prevent them from making tracks across the floor.

The new Hangar 2 will feature doors on both sides, each of which will fold like an accordion and slide into the wall when fully opened. Rich Williams, the airline’s program manager for technical operations, says the doors will probably be installed around October. The doors will allow natural light.

Contractors pouring cement on the north side of American’s new Hangar 2 where the door support beams were just set.

The new hangar features floor pits situated across the massive floor to make it easy for mechanics to access electricity, pneumatics, water etc.

Installing translucent panels at top of the new hangar.

The north side of American’s hangar under construction, where its existing Hangar 2, as well as a United Airlines hangar, will be demolished to make way for a new runway.

The 614-ft. long hangar will be heated.

After Hangar 2 is finished, the side by side hangars will give American Airlines more of a campus-like environment. American would like to make Chicago a 787 Center of Excellence for maintenance.

Hangar 1 holds four narrowbodies or two widebodies simultaneously. The existing Hangar 2, which will be demolished in January or February after the new one opens, fits four narrowbodies.

Schematic showing what American Airlines' capacity at ORD will look like once the new Hangar 2 is completed.