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Nation: Hundreds of flights canceled or delayed at O'Hare
The Associated Press
CHICAGO (July 18, 2000 1:35 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled for hours at O'Hare International, reportedly because of a work slowdown by air traffic controllers.
No safety problems were reported from Monday's delays and cancellations.
Controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration's center in Elgin told the Chicago Tribune they expanded the normal spacing between airplanes heading to O'Hare.
They said it was in response to what they consider strict tactics used by a new manager in dealing with controller errors, scheduling and other issues.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it did not sanction the slowdown.
Flight operations at O'Hare were normal at midmorning Tuesday, "but that could change," said Monique Bond, spokeswoman for Chicago's Aviation Department
Bond said she did not know any details about labor issues at the FAA.
FAA officials blamed Monday's delays on "strong upper-altitude winds," despite reports of calm conditions for air travel across most of the country. Calls to the FAA's regional office in Des Plaines for additional comment were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Monday's delays were an added blow to travelers returning to O'Hare and other cities after being slowed or stranded during the weekend by bad weather in the East.
United Airlines canceled 116 flights, or 20 percent of its schedule, between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday at O'Hare. American Airlines canceled more than 20, a spokeswoman said.
United spokesman Joe Hopkins said Monday's delays were "not related to the weather" or to pilots' recent refusals to work overtime.
http://www.nandotimes.com/no_frames/nation/story/0,4455,500229435-500331714-501890292-0,00.html
-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), July 18, 2000
Air Transport Association spokesman David
Fuscus says the problems are due to an antiquated
air traffic control system.Rocky Mountain News
-- spider (spider0@usa.net), July 18, 2000.