The FAA takes a rare step to head off a traffic jam at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

National The FAA takes a rare step to head off a traffic jam at Chicago's O'Hare Airport April 13, 20265:00 AM ET Joel Rose American Airlines is one of two major airlines with hubs at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images CHICAGO — How the turf war at O'Hare International Airport started is a matter of debate. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom blames his rival, United Airlines. Your Money How the Iran war is disrupting air travel — and advice if you're planning a trip "Where we were headed in Chicago, due to the reckless scheduling of our competitor, okay, was going to be gridlock," Isom said at an investors conference in Washington, D.C. last month. United CEO Scott Kirby laughed off that criticism when he got the same question a few hours later. Kirby pointed the finger at American, where he used to work, and said he's glad the Department of Transportation is stepping in. "The DOT is going to come in and play dad and force us to share," Kirby said. "And it's going to all be fine." Sponsor Message Aviation regulators are working to head off a traffic jam this summer at one of the country's biggest airports. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to cut flights at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, where United and American have added hundreds of flights in a battle for market share. The Indicator from Planet Money Your next flight doesn't have to be so expensive. Here's why This is not business as usual for the airlines, or for federal regulators. In part, that reflects O'Hare's unusual position in the aviation industry. It's now the busiest airport in the U.S. in terms of takeoffs and landings, and it's a critical hub for two major airlines. "No other airport in the world is like this," said Joe Schwieterman, a professor of transportation at DePaul University in Chicago. "We've got two global hubs side by side at the same airport, you know, within view o...