By the height of the busy summer season, the number of travelers passing through U.S. airports for the year had already hit the same levels as before the pandemic, a sign of how passengers remained willing to spend their money. But traffic at O’Hare International Airport lagged.
Chicago is losing potential passengers and companies that attract business travelers, he said, citing the recent departures of corporate headquarters like Boeing. Despite Chicago’s assets, which include universities and cultural destinations that attract tourists, the city is facing image challenges, and a sense that it’s more difficult to do business here, he said. “There is a Chicago factor as both origin and destination,” he said. “Yes, it’s significant, but it’s no longer what it was.