United Airlines entered into an agreement with Spirit Airlines to acquire two gates at Chicago O’Hare for $30.2 million.
The arrangement, revealed by Spirit on February 3 in a court filing, will still need approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The hearing is scheduled for February 24.
If approved, United is set to acquire gates G12 and G14. One gate is set to become permanently assigned to United Airlines, while the other will be on a temporary basis.
Spirit plans to use the $30.2 million to prepay part of the financing it received during its restructuring. The airline is already undergoing a second Chapter 11 restructuring in less than a year.
Spirit will continue flights in Chicago after the transfer, but with fewer flights than at present.
Chicago O’Hare Rivalry Intensifies for United and American
United CEO Scott Kirby previously said the airline would not pursue Spirit assets, as doing so would distract United from its long-term goals. That stance changed when Chicago O’Hare became one of the focal points in United and American’s brewing rivalry.
Each year, airlines receive gate allocations from the Chicago Department of Aviation based on their usage in the previous year.
Based on 2024 usage, United gained five gates, while American lost four. However, as American increased its flights at O’Hare in 2025, it’s now a different story. Instead, Kirby expects United to lose three gates during the next reallocation.
American also acquired two O’Hare gates from Spirit as the budget airline downsizes its network to remain solvent.
Aside from purchasing gates from Spirit, American has used other tactics to outperform United, including pursuing legal challenges over gate allocations.
Getting two additional gates doesn’t automatically mean that United will have more flights at O’Hare. By acquiring two gates from Spirit, United prevents American Airlines from expanding at an airport where United holds a dominant position.
