Carrier plans LAX, SFO flights from Chicago

Low-cost carrier Virgin America Airlines, which has challenged American and United on several key business routes out of San Francisco and Los Angeles, wants to add two more. The airline said it is applying with the Transportation Department for space at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, with hopes of operating up to four daily roundtrips to both SFO and LAX starting later this year. The government approval is needed because crowded O’Hare operates under capacity restrictions overseen by the FAA. Most low-cost carriers like Southwest, Frontier and AirTran use Chicago’s close-in Midway Airport, but Virgin America sees a market for its services at O’Hare if it can get in there. “With legacy airlines representing 99 percent of the domestic departures at O’Hare, and low-cost airlines only representing one percent, Virgin America intends to add some healthy competition to the market,” a spokesman said. The Chicago Tribune said Virgin America hopes to start flying out of O’Hare in November, after the airport opens a new runway that should increase its capacity.