CHICAGO — A Naperville man has been charged with starting a Friday morning fire at the Federal Aviation Administration Chicago En Route Center in Aurora that led to the cancelation of thousands of flights headed to and from Chicago.
The fire caused airlines to cancel 1,500 flights at O'Hare, 450 at Midway Airport and quieted the air around Chicago and snarled air traffic around the Midwest.
Brian Howard, of Naperville, was charged Friday with destruction of aircraft facilities after allegedly starting the fire, a felony offense.
According to the complaint, Howard entered the center at 5:06 a.m. wheeling a black suitcase. At 5:36 a.m. a message containing the call numbers for the center, ZAU, was posted on his Facebook, which was immediately forwarded to police. At 5:42 a.m., paramedics responded to an emergency call placed from inside the building. They entered the basement of the building and followed a trail of blood to Howard, according to the complaint from the FBI.
Due to unspecified injuries Howard remains hospitalized and no court date is scheduled. If convicted Howard can face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine.
As of 4:50 p.m. Friday the Chicago Department of Aviation warned that thousands of flights to Chicago had been canceled and travelers should expect at least a 30-minute delay for flights still scheduled. Passengers traveling through the airports Friday and Saturday are warned to check their flights status on their airlines website before heading to the airport.
The CDA is providing water, coffee, and snacks to passengers while some concessionaires are offering discounts.
Earlier Friday, flights were beginning to arrive and depart at both airports at a "reduced rate" after being grounded for more than three hours, according to a statement released by the FAA.
Flights that were already in the air on their way to Chicago were allowed to continue at a reduced rate.
Southwest Airlines suspended all flights for Friday.
The fire started in the basement of the Aurora building and spread to the rest of the building, according to the Sun-Times. Police found a man with self-inflicted wounds and took him to Aurora Hospital.
The building was evacuated. Helicopter news reports showed a group of workers in the parking lot, waiting to get back inside.
Aviation Department staffers and Chicago Police officers helped passengers in ticketing areas at both airports.
To check the status of your flight, visit the city Aviation Department website.
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