Pigboat
Expect fierce fight. Chicago area pilots associations already contacted faa. Under their rulings the city is supposed to issue 60 to 90 day notifications of ANY airport/runways closures. Be sure the matter will be investigated and possible fines imposed on the city. The airport was not only used for G/A but had a lot of corporate flyers as well.
The mayor (read: moron) himself used the convenience and proximity of Meigs Field to Downtown when trying to lure Boeing exec’s into making the decision to move the hdqr’s to Chicago from Seattle. The dude had a park in mind in this area all along and it became a political issue. In 2001 he said this airport would stay open till at least 2006 and possibly till 2026.
Bet you it has a lot to do with ORD expansion/pulling teeth and Palwaukee as a possibility for another Chicago area main airport. For now the taxpayers will eat the cost of moving stranded crafts and the g/a folks along with corporate flyers will have to do with DuPage and drive 35 miles to the city.
Typical “Windy City” politics at its best where using security reasons is to accomplish one's own agenda.
BTW, Daley explained in the news conference that his “night time operation” was to make sure no one had the time to file a lawsuit to stop his plan. How sneaky was that? Absolutely outrageous!