The chief of the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the agency to review the contingency plans and security protocols of all its major facilities.
The order from Administrator Michael P. Huerta came three days after a contractor set fire to an FAA air traffic facility in Aurora, Illinois.
As we reported, the fire crippled the system and led to thousands of disrupted flights in and out of Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports.
"The air transportation system is vital to our economy and people rely on it to function 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Huerta said in a statement. "I want to make sure that we have the most robust contingency plans possible."
Bloomberg reports that the system is not expected to get back to normal for days.
The news service adds:
Meanwhile, WLS-TV reports that Brian Howard, 36, is scheduled to appear in court today. Howard is charged with "destruction of aircraft facilities."
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