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Chicago's Midway airport traffic control tower closes down due to COVID-19

Posted at 6:44 PM, Mar 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-17 22:17:06-04

Chicago's Midway Airport has shutdown its air traffic control tower due to three FAA technicians testing positive for the coronavirus, NBC news affiliate WMAQ in Chicago said.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said that it will shift flight operations to a "one-in-one-out" policy.

A ground stop has been implemented at the airport. That means all flights that have not yet left for Midway will stay at their point of origin.

The FAA released a statement reassuring people that the airport itself is still open, but the traffic control tower is closed.

"The airport remains open and operations will continue at a reduced rate until the situation is resolved," an FAA press release said.

The airport will cut down on the number of planes it will receive. Subsequently, General Mitchell Airport has confirmed that multiple Southwest flights plans have been diverted from Chicago to Milwaukee.

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