Fire At Chicago Air Control Facility Causes Nationwide Airline Cancellations
CHICAGO (CBSDFW/AP) - A fire at an air traffic control facility in suburban Chicago has caused more than 500 flights to be canceled at the city's airports Friday -- and more cancellations are expected. That could send delays rippling through the nation's air travel network.
The fire was quickly put out. It began in the basement of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago. The center was evacuated because of the fire, and management of the region's air space was transferred to other facilities.
A city spokesman in Aurora said that emergency crews discovered a man in the basement of the facility with a self-inflicted wound and took him to the hospital. It's not clear whether the man had anything to do with the fire.
The impact of the delays has been felt in North Texas. Southwest Airlines announced that they have proactively canceled flights at Chicago-Midway International Airport and Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport through at least noon.
American Airlines has cancelled 314 flights systemwide, including departures out of and arrivals into Chicago, mainline and regional.
Erick Elizarraras missed his flight from DFW International Airport to Chicago. He was upset, until he learned the reason. "The safety of the people is first," he said. "We can wait. It's not like, I mean, I have to be in Chicago, but it's not like I'm going to die if I don't get to Chicago. I'm a native of Chicago, so I hope everything is okay over there."
This is the second time since May that a problem at one of the Chicago area's control facilities prompted a ground stop at O'Hare and Midway International airports. In May, an electrical problem forced the evacuation of a regional radar facility in suburban Elgin.
At this time, Dallas Love Field is not affected by the service interruption in Chicago. However, anyone with a flight to any destination on Friday is urged to arrive at the airport extra early.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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