Fire at ZAU Shuts Down Airspace
09-26-2014, 05:16 AM
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Fire at ZAU Shuts Down Airspace
MSNBC reported the fire appeared to be intentionally set. A look at flightaware gives one the impression that the entire Chicago ARTCC is shut down.
Chicago flights grounded after fire at FAA radar facility
Flights have been grounded at Chicago's busy O'Hare and Midway airports following a fire at an air traffic control facility.
More than 300 flights -- about 11% of the day's entire schedule -- had already been canceled at O'Hare as of 8:55 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com. Cancellations at Midway were growing as well, with FlightAware counting more than 40 -- about 7% of Midway's schedule -- as of the same time.
As for the fire that led to the disruption, the Chicago Tribune reports that a fire broke out at a Federal Aviation Administration radar facility in Aurora, Ill., at around 5:45 a.m. ET.
Air traffic controllers at the facility handle flights that fly across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The fire has forced air traffic controllers at the facility to hand off their air traffic control duties "to adjacent air traffic facilities," FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory told the Tribune. The disruption at the facility also is disrupting flights at other airports in the region, including Minneapolis/St. Paul and Milwaukee.
For fliers, the situation is likely to create major disruptions that will ripple out to airports across the USA. Already, more than 150 flights at Chicago O'Hare have been canceled, according to flight-tracking sight FlightAware.com. Dozens of other Chicago-bound flights are being diverted to other airports.
Chicago O'Hare is the nation's second-busiest airport, home to hubs for both American and United airlines. Chicago Midways is the 24th-busiest airport (by passengers) in the USA, according to the FAA. Midway is one of the busiest bases for low-cost giant Southwest.
Stay tuned for updates.
Chicago flights grounded after fire at FAA radar facility
Flights have been grounded at Chicago's busy O'Hare and Midway airports following a fire at an air traffic control facility.
More than 300 flights -- about 11% of the day's entire schedule -- had already been canceled at O'Hare as of 8:55 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com. Cancellations at Midway were growing as well, with FlightAware counting more than 40 -- about 7% of Midway's schedule -- as of the same time.
As for the fire that led to the disruption, the Chicago Tribune reports that a fire broke out at a Federal Aviation Administration radar facility in Aurora, Ill., at around 5:45 a.m. ET.
Air traffic controllers at the facility handle flights that fly across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The fire has forced air traffic controllers at the facility to hand off their air traffic control duties "to adjacent air traffic facilities," FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory told the Tribune. The disruption at the facility also is disrupting flights at other airports in the region, including Minneapolis/St. Paul and Milwaukee.
For fliers, the situation is likely to create major disruptions that will ripple out to airports across the USA. Already, more than 150 flights at Chicago O'Hare have been canceled, according to flight-tracking sight FlightAware.com. Dozens of other Chicago-bound flights are being diverted to other airports.
Chicago O'Hare is the nation's second-busiest airport, home to hubs for both American and United airlines. Chicago Midways is the 24th-busiest airport (by passengers) in the USA, according to the FAA. Midway is one of the busiest bases for low-cost giant Southwest.
Stay tuned for updates.
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