A Chicago air traffic control fire occurred in suburban Chicago on Friday morning, halting all flights in and out of the city's two major airports. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, though the Chicago air traffic control fire only occurred in one area, it has threatened to cause delays and cancelations around the nation's air travel network.
According to CityNews Toronto, the ground stop which resulted from the blaze, has affected both Chicago's O'Hare and Midway international airports. A flight tracking website also showed that more than 300 hundred flights have been cancelled due to the Chicago air traffic control fire.
According to the aviation tracker FlightAware.com, more than 200 flights to and from O'Hare, a focal point for the nation's air traffic, were cancelled at about 7:30 a.m.
Midway reported about 20 cancelations because of the Chicago air traffic control fire, while Southwest Airlines suspended all their flights at Midway until noon, says the Chicago Department of Aviation.
According to the BBC, while Chicago Fire crews are busy putting out the blaze on the scene, the airports have remained closed.
FAA spokesperson Elizabeth Cory said the Chicago air traffic control fire took place at the FAA's Aurora, Ill. facility.
According to the Associated Press, this is the second incident since May that a problem occurred at one of Chicago's major control facilities, prompting all flights at O'Hare and Midway international airports to stop operations.
The Chicago air traffic control fire led to the evacuation of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, reports the AP. The center is located around 40 miles west of downtown Chicago, said Cory.
Cory added that the management of the region's air space has temporarily been transferred to other facilities in adjacent towers. According to the AP, it remains unclear how long the stoppage would last.
Meanwhile, Cory told the Chicago Tribune that one man was found with a self-inflicted injury inside the facility. The man was found in the basement and it is still being investigated whether he is connected to the Chicago air traffic control fire or not. The man was taken to a nearby hospital.
The cause of the fire in Aurora is still unknown. According to the AP, a Chicago fire department spokesman has not yet responded to a voicemail seeking comment.
Meanwhile, the stoppage which occurred in May had been due to an electrical problem. As with the Chicago air traffic control fire, the breakdown led to the evacuation of a regional radar facility in suburban Elgin.
According to the AP, a bathroom exhaust fan overheated and melted insulation on some wires. Smoke spread via the facility's ventilation system and towards the control room.
The evacuation reportedly took three hours. More than 1,100 flights were canceled.
The air traffic control facility in Aurora is commonly known as an en-route center. It takes care of aircraft flying at high altitudes, including those approaching and leaving Chicago's airports. Meanwhile, air traffic which are closer to the airports, are handled by a different facility together with control towers at the airfields.
In April, there had been a computer glitch at a similar facility on the West Coast. The Los Angeles International Airport experienced a 45-minute shutdown because of the glitch.
All flights may have been cancelled due to the Chicago air traffic control fire in Aurora, but the BBC reports that the airport will be reopened within hours by the FAA.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
