2 Weeks Until Chicago Control Center Reopens: FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration says it will take about two weeks to fully reopen a Chicago-area control center, where an act of sabotage brought the city's two international airports to a halt last week. The FAA said yesterday it hopes to return the facility to full service by Oct. 13 and that crews are working to install replacement equipment.

Authorities say a contract employee started a fire Friday at the regional control center in suburban Aurora and then attempted to commit suicide. More than 2,000 flights were canceled that day at O'Hare and Midway international airports, disrupting travel nationwide. About 600 flights were canceled at the airports yesterday, and delays were about a half-hour. Air traffic controllers from the Aurora center are now at other FAA offices in the Midwest until they can head back to their home base. (More Chicago stories.)