FAA Fire Causes Havoc for Flights

Fire at regional FAA facility cancels hundreds of flights, while delaying or redirects even more.

Flyers traveling on Friday, September 26, will be watching departure monitors closely, after the skies over Chicago were temporarily shut down this morning. At approximately 5:40 a.m. CDT, a fire was reported at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, Ill., just outside of Chicago.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the fire caused normal radio frequencies to go dead during normal morning operations. Air traffic controllers were forced to use a backup channel, before authorities ordered the building to be evacuated.

As a result of the fire, skies were temporarily cleared over Chicago immediately. “Airspace management has been transferred to adjacent air traffic facilities,” FAA spokesperson Elizabeth Cory told The Chicago Tribune.

With the “Zero ATC” emergency declared, departures at both of Chicago’s major airports, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) have been stopped indefinitely. As of 10:30 a.m. CDT, FlightStats.com reports over 600 flights have been cancelled between the two airports. While some flights inbound to Chicago’s airports have been allowed to land, many others have been diverted to other airports, including Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

The fire may cause havoc for travelers flying across the United States, as many airlines have announced mass cancellations as a result of the situation. Southwest Airlines told USA Today that their flights would be grounded in Chicago’s airports until at least 12:00 p.m. CDT on Friday. Other airlines have announced similar cancellations and problems, including American Airlines and United Airlines, two of ORDs biggest airlines.

According to the AP, the Aurora facility handles high-altitude aircraft flying over the Great Lakes and Midwest, as well as aircraft approaching or departing both of Chicago’s airports. In 2013, ORD was listed as the third busiest airport in the United States, based on passenger boarding data from the FAA, while MDW was listed 24^th on the list.

Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM reports that, according to Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas, a contract employee may have intentionally started the fire in the facility. Local and federal authorities, including the FBI and ATF, are investigating the incident. While a motive has not yet been identified, terrorism has been ruled out.

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