On August 9, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enforced ground stops at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport due to severe weather. The ground stop at O’Hare began just before noon and lasted until shortly after 3 p.m., approximately three hours in duration. Midway Airport’s ground stop started just before 1 p.m. and ended at 3:45 p.m., lasting about two hours and 45 minutes.
Flight Impacts and Delays
During the ground stops, flights destined for Chicago were held at their departing airports. Departure delays were also reported at O’Hare International Airport throughout the disruption period. After the lifting of the ground stop
at O’Hare, average ground delays continued to worsen, reaching roughly 100 minutes according to FAA data. These disruptions affected multiple flights during peak travel hours on a Sunday.
