chicago O’Hare International Airport (O’Hare) and Midway Airport (Midway) implemented ground grounding orders on the afternoon of the 13th (Friday) due to air traffic control communication equipment failure. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) subsequently extended the suspension of takeoffs nationwide, causing flight delays.
According to CBS Chicago, both airports suspended flight departures starting around 2:10 p.m. The FAA issued a nationwide grounding order at 2:54 p.m., requiring all flights waiting to take off to remain on the ground. Aircraft already in the air may still land, depending on conditions.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the power outages affected several air traffic control centers and that technicians were investigating the cause. Flights at O’Hare Airport were delayed by about 75 minutes and Midway Airport was also affected.
As of the time of the above news release, the FAA has not yet confirmed that the grounding order has been completely lifted. Passengers should check the status of individual flights with the airline.
