Tribune today ORD vs. SIN
Mar 1, 2015, 4:41 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
Tribune today ORD vs. SIN
Front page article about how ORD is falling behind. Given. But it shows ORD with somewhat more traffic than SIN but with 8 runways vs. 2. Why does ORD need 4 times the runways? This has always confused me.
Mar 1, 2015, 7:21 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
The article compares passenger numbers, not number of aircraft movements, which is where runways come into play. SIN is close to ORD in passengers (ORD - 70m, SIN - 54m), but nowhere near it in aircraft movements (ORD - 881k, SIN - 341k).
In plain English, it's because the average plane at ORD is an RJ (okay, it's a 737/319/320/MD80), where at SIN it's a jumbo.
In plain English, it's because the average plane at ORD is an RJ (okay, it's a 737/319/320/MD80), where at SIN it's a jumbo.
Mar 2, 2015, 10:59 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
Saw this a few days ago.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/g...ry.html#page=1
Interesting comparison, but these airports do have different focuses, as glg points out. That having been said, SFO is a much nicer airport, too. ORD is somewhat limited b/c its old. Smaller gate waiting areas, narrower terminals, etc. The real estate just isn't there to do anything as grandiose as SIN or even as comfortable as SFO, in my uneducated opinion.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/g...ry.html#page=1
Interesting comparison, but these airports do have different focuses, as glg points out. That having been said, SFO is a much nicer airport, too. ORD is somewhat limited b/c its old. Smaller gate waiting areas, narrower terminals, etc. The real estate just isn't there to do anything as grandiose as SIN or even as comfortable as SFO, in my uneducated opinion.
Mar 3, 2015, 9:03 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 852
It's also comparing apples to oranges in general. You have a city/nation state focusing billions to develop it's single major airport as a major international connecting point that for the most part doesn't require clearing immigration/customs when transiting. Everything is built around that.
Here you have ORD being funded by the airlines that use the airport and limited federal funding from an agency that needs to work with thousands of airports throughout the U.S and uses it's facilities to move people domestically.
Here you have ORD being funded by the airlines that use the airport and limited federal funding from an agency that needs to work with thousands of airports throughout the U.S and uses it's facilities to move people domestically.