‘Remember Meigs Field’

The destruction of this hugely popular Chicago airport has become a battle cry for general aviation airports.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at 01:23 PM ET

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Meigs Field was built shortly after World War II. [FLYING Archives]

Key Takeaways:

Merrill C. Meigs Field, a busy general aviation airport near downtown Chicago, was controversially and abruptly closed in March 2003 when Mayor Richard M. Daley ordered its runway destroyed overnight.
Known as "The Midnight Raid," the closure sparked widespread outrage within the aviation community, as it violated previous agreements and FAA regulations, with the mayor's initial security justifications later disproven.
The incident led to the "Meigs Legacy Provision," significantly increasing FAA fines for illegal airport closures, and now serves as a cautionary tale and rallying cry for aviation groups fighting to protect other airports.

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Editor’s Note: This article is part of special series spotlighting runways: April 18: America’s Longest Runways | America’s Shortest Runways | April 19: 11 Fun Facts About Runways | April 20: Self-healing Concrete and How It Can Save Runways | April 21: FLYING Explained: How Do You Read Airport Markings and Signage | Runway History | April 22: Remembering Meigs Field

“Remember Meigs Field!”

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.