The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enforced ground stops at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport on Sunday, August 9, 2026, in response to severe weather conditions.
The ground stop at O’Hare began just before 12:00 p.m. (noon) and was lifted shortly after 3:00 p.m. at the same location. Midway Airport experienced its ground stop starting just before 1:00 p.m. and ending at 3:45 p.m. Flights bound for Chicago were held at their departing airports during these times.
Flight Delays and Operations
Flights directed to Chicago faced holds at originating airports under the ground stop orders. Even after the O’Hare ground stop was lifted,
flights continued to face departure delays. The FAA reported that average delays for flights departing O’Hare after the ground stop reached around 100 minutes.
Cause and Impact of Ground Stops
The FAA attributed the ground stops to severe weather conditions affecting safe airport operations. Multiple chances of severe weather were forecast for Chicago that day, which contributed to holding inbound flights and the subsequent delays.
Passengers traveling to Chicago encountered extended waiting times due to aircraft being held on the ground at both O’Hare and Midway, as well as departure delays at O’Hare after the restrictions were lifted.
