Overview
- An overnight water pipe burst around 1:10 a.m. forced evacuation of O’Hare’s main air traffic control tower, with controllers shifting operations to the south tower.
- The FAA initiated a ground delay program shortly after 2 a.m., listing it in effect through at least 7:59 p.m. Tuesday.
- FlyChicago reported more than 400 delays with many exceeding 45 minutes, and ABC7 said delays continued into late morning at roughly 30 minutes with only a few cancellations.
- The main tower remains closed as officials assess potential equipment damage and conduct an investigation, with the extent of damage still unknown.
- The FAA said departing flights may also be affected and urged travelers to check with their airlines, and officials noted a separate, apparently unrelated Terminal 1 pipe burst Monday that caused no injuries.