Speaking Tuesday at the Executive Club of Chicago, Kirby said that bringing the tower to proper staffing levels could reduce taxi times by six or seven minutes, according to remarks reported by the Chicago Tribune, which was in attendance.

Taxi times at O'Hare have grown longer in recent years, a trend compounded by ORDNext, the airport's sweeping terminal expansion and modernization project. Construction has sometimes forced planes to take longer routes around work zones to reach their gates, adding to the time passengers spend waiting on the tarmac after landing.

Kirby's remarks placed the blame squarely on FAA staffing, but he did not address another factor the agency has cited: the intense competition between United and American Airlines for gates at O'Hare, which the FAA has argued contributes to congestion.

That rivalry intensified ahead of the 2026 summer travel season, when both carriers added hundreds of new flights. The FAA subsequently imposed a daily cap on departures, ordering the airport to cut more than 300 flights over capacity concerns.

The push comes as O'Hare remains one of the busiest hubs in the country and a linchpin of the regional economy. For travelers, the difference between a six-minute taxi and a longer one can ripple through tight connections and late arrivals, while for the airlines it translates into operational costs and scheduling challenges.

It remains to be seen whether the FAA will adjust staffing at the south tower, and whether such changes would deliver the reductions Kirby predicts. The agency has not publicly responded to his comments.