United Airlines Delaying Rochester Flights

If you're looking to catch a connecting flight out of Rochester's RST airport, you'll now have one less choice, as United Airlines just delayed the launch of flights to Chicago.

Usually, when we get news that an airline is adding or ending flights to and from Minnesota, the routes involve the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) near Bloomington. It is, after all, the largest airport in the entire state.

But this news involves a different airport: The airport right here in Minnesota's third-largest city-- and largest city outside the Twin Cities metro-- Rochester International Airport (RST). And, unfortunately, it's not good news this time around.

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United Airlines Delays Rochester to Chicago Flights

According to industry site AeroXplorer, United Airlines says it is ending 10 regional flights from airports across the country to its hub at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. And one of those locations affected is here in Minnesota's Med City.

I wrote a story about those flights when they were first announced in late October last year. The plan then was that United would add three daily, year-round flights from RST to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) on its super-premium CRJ-550 jet. Those flights were originally scheduled to start on April 30th, 2026.

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Why United Airlines Is Delaying Flights From Rochester

However, the plan hit a snag last spring when United announced it was delaying those flights until June 1st, the same date RST hosted a massive parking-lot party featuring Minnesota native Cori Kennedy. (I wrote a story about that party HERE.) But in late May, United said it was delaying them again until late October.

RST, however, says those flights are not necessarily canceled for good:

United announced its RST service as part of a larger expansion of flights through its Chicago hub. But as airlines planned significant growth at O’Hare for summer 2026, the FAA became concerned that the number of scheduled flights would exceed the airport’s ability to handle them reliably.

More than 3,080 flights were planned at O’Hare on peak days during summer 2026—a nearly 15% increase over the previous summer. At the same time, fewer than 60% of O’Hare arrivals and departures were on time during summer 2025, according to the FAA.

In response, the FAA established scheduling limits intended to reduce congestion, delays, and cancellations. The restrictions were originally scheduled to expire on October 24, 2026.

In July, however, the FAA extended them through October 30, 2027, citing ongoing construction projects and airfield adjustments that are expected to continue through summer 2027. The FAA determined that allowing the restrictions to expire as originally planned could result in significant delays and operational disruptions at O’Hare.

United’s new RST service is now scheduled to begin when those restrictions expire.

 

Other United Airlines Routes Affected From Chicago O'Hare

Besides Rochester's RST, other locations impacted include include Erie (ERI), Pennsylvania; Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA); Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), Tennessee; Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (MQT), Michigan; Lansing (LAN), Michigan; Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), Michigan; Champaign–Urbana Airport (CMI), Illinois; La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE), Wisconsin; and Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI), Illinois.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that United Airlines had canceled its planned Rochester-to-Chicago service altogether. According to Rochester International Airport, the service has been delayed due to FAA scheduling restrictions at Chicago O'Hare and is currently expected to begin after those restrictions expire in October 2027. The story has been updated to reflect that information.