FAA sets mid October date for Chicago facility fix

The agency said its Auroa, Ill., facility will be fully operational by Oct. 13.    The Federal Aviation Administration said its Aurora, Ill., facility will return to full capacity by Oct. 13 after damaged communications equipment is repaired.
   The FAA pledged that “teams will be working around the clock to install equipment, run cable and restore network connections at the facility.”
   Friday morning, a contract employee started a fire in the basement of the Chicago En Route Center, halting flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. Immediately after the fire, the FAA began managing Chicago-area traffic from facilities in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland and Minneapolis.
   For the time being, employees of the facility are working remotely at other area FAA facilities, the agency said in a press release.
   The day of the fire, O’Hare was able to accommodate 40 percent of its normal flights, according to the FAA, while Midway saw 30 percent of its usual traffic. On Saturday and Sunday, the agency said it handled 60 percent of normal traffic at O’Hare, and capacity at Midway was back up to around 75 percent during the weekend.
   “The agency also has reduced delays in the Chicago area airports by developing new communication and flight plan processing solutions,” it said. “The FAA reestablished consistent arrival and departure rates at Chicago area airports, providing airlines with needed predictability to build flight schedules. The agency is using all existing tools to maximize operations, and is developing new capabilities where necessary to return to normal service levels in the Chicago area.”