The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday the flight cap, which has been in place for three years, will be lifted by FAA officials in November 2008 when the airport is expected to open its a new runway.

The FAA's new chief of air-traffic operations, Henry Krakowski, said that by keeping the cap in place, flight delays and cancellations would be limited at the Chicago facility.

Yet local officials have criticized the federal department's decision, saying it will significantly impact $15 billion expansion plans for the airport.

"When flight caps were proposed for O'Hare, the city was assured that they would sunset in 2008," Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said.

The Federal Aviation Administration put the cap into effect in 2004 after flight delays at O'Hare topped those at all other U.S. airports.

The Tribune said that even under the imposed cap, O'Hare has struggled to meet travelers' demands and ranks last among the 32 busiest U.S. airports in on-time departure performance.