United Airlines' long taxi time at O'Hare surpasses GE test flight

Passengers on United Airlines flight 357 experienced a lengthy taxi time upon arrival at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, highlighting the complexities of navigating one of the world's busiest airports. The domestic flight from Norfolk International Airport to Chicago took off and landed within its scheduled duration, but it was the 21-minute taxi to the gate that drew attention.

The Boeing 737-700 aircraft, registered as N25707, completed its journey in one hour and 44 minutes. However, once on the ground in Chicago, passengers had to wait longer than expected to reach their final destination at gate E10. The aircraft arrived at 16:22 local time but did not park until 17:01.

This delay exceeded the duration of a General Electric Boeing 747 test flight conducted earlier that day. The GE test flight left from Norfolk and lasted only nine minutes before landing at Langley Air Force Base. "Taxi times are often long at hub airports," noted industry observers, particularly at fortress hubs like O'Hare where airlines maintain busy schedules.