The FAA issued a statement Wednesday regarding the status of operations in the Chicago area-and noted that O’Hare operations were the most numerous in the country Tuesday, even as it is working to get Chicago Center fully operational. The full text of the statement follows:
“FAA air traffic controllers managed more operations at Chicago O’Hare yesterday than at any other airport in the country. The number of arrivals and departures yesterday at O’Hare were more than 91 percent as high as the two-month average number of flights on a Tuesday at O’Hare. The FAA managed more than 85 percent of the two-month average of Tuesday traffic flying in and out of Midway.
By 1 p.m. CDT this afternoon (Wednesday, October 1), arrivals and departures at the two airports were running above 85 percent of the average Wednesday air traffic over the past two months at O’Hare and above 80 percent at Midway. The FAA is closely monitoring weather forecasts for the Chicago area for the next several days and is working with the airlines to plan for predicted thunderstorms or severe weather in the Chicago area. The FAA manages air traffic across the country every day in a dynamic environment that balances airline scheduling with weather events and other factors to safely and efficiently move travelers to their destinations.
“FAA technicians are continuing around-the-clock work to restore telecommunications services at the Chicago En Route Center in Aurora, IL. Workers already have installed some of the new communications equipment, but also have to lay as much as 10 miles of new cable and restore service to hundreds of electrical circuits and switches at the facility. Cleaning crews have finished restoration work on most of the undamaged equipment and are continuing to clean the ventilation system, which was contaminated by smoke.”
