Spirit Airlines is transferring two of its four gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport to American Airlines, following a $30 million transaction approved by a U.S. bankruptcy court. The sale includes gates G8 and G10 in Terminal 3, while Spirit retains gates G12 and G14 as it scales back its presence at the airport.
According to court documents, Spirit has cut its peak-day departures at O’Hare from approximately 32 flights to nearly half that number, rendering two of its “preferential-use” gates redundant.
The deal comes amid Spirit’s ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring, initiated after the airline filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in August 2025. As part of its reorganization, Spirit has exited operations at 14 airports and rejected leases on more than 80 aircraft. Rather than using the $30 million as a short-term cash reserve, the carrier informed the court it will allocate the funds to prepay debtor-in-possession loans, thereby reducing its financing obligations.
The court valued each gate at $15 million, noting the figure reflected extended, good-faith negotiations aligned with current market conditions.
For American Airlines, the acquisition restores valuable real estate in one of its key domestic hubs. Earlier in the year, gate allocations at O’Hare were restructured based on airline traffic levels, reducing American’s share while favoring other carriers like United. By acquiring gates G8 and G10—one of which is adjacent to an Admirals Club—American strengthens its operational footprint at the airport.
Industry analysts point out that while the move won’t immediately shift the competitive balance at O’Hare, it provides American with added flexibility to expand flight schedules in Chicago as Spirit continues to downsize and consolidate its network.
