Visitors to O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, could soon find themselves faced with an $8 additional charge when they sign for a rental vehicle. Mayor Richard Daley is trying to get the fee approved, so that the money can be put towards airport expansion. Part of the expansion plans at the airport is the construction of two new runways.

In order to build the runways, O’Hare needs to consolidate the car hire companies, which currently occupy a number of separate buildings at the airport. The proposal at the moment is to put them all under one roof in a dedicated rental car centre at the intersection of Mannheim and Zemke, where Parking Lot F presently stands.

The $8 charge will be used to fund the building of the rental centre. The Aviation Committee has already approved the Mayor’s proposal and it will now go in front of the City Council. If they agree, then the new charge could be in place by August, according to Rosemarie Andolino, Aviation Commissioner.

Andolino said that she would be assessing the cost of the new consolidated car hire centre, and would decide whether the new charge needed to be raised or lowered in accordance. She added that as long as the car rental firms were given 30 days’ notice that the charge would be changing, she had the ordinance to do so.

Car hire customers at O’Hare are already charged a flat fee of $2.75 each day. There is also an 8 per cent tax on all rentals. The proposed $8 per day would be in addition to these charges.