Air traffic chaos as suicidal worker burns facility

Hundreds of flights to and from Chicago’s O’Hare, one of the world’s busiest airports, continue to be disrupted following an attempted suicide by an employee who set fire to an air traffic facility.

The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing security practices and how it deals with unexpected incidents throughout its air traffic control facilities following last week’s incident, agency administrator Michael Huerta said.

The fire brought flights at the city’s two busy airports to a halt and disrupted air service right across the country. Authorities say it was set by a contract employee who also tried to commit suicide.

By shifting controllers from the damaged facility to other air traffic centres and expanding operations at other Chicago-area control facilities, the FAA has been able to bring service at O’Hare International Airport back to 60% of normal and Midway International Airport to 75% of normal, Huerta said.

The employee who set the fire worked for the Harris Corporation, which provides the FAA’s communications network for its air traffic centres.

The room where the fire took place contained communications equipment.

The FAA has heightened security at all its air traffic facilities in response to the incident, but the review will look at what more can be done on background checks and access, Huerta said.