The Cautionary Tale of the Destruction of Meigs Field

It's been more than two decades since then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley ordered large X’s carved into the runway, rendering it unusable.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, April 01, 2024 at 02:48 PM ET

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Meigs Field was the best way to fly into Chicago for GA pilots—before it was destroyed in March 2003. [Credit: Friends of Meigs Field]

Key Takeaways:

Merrill C. Meigs Field in Chicago was abruptly and without warning destroyed on March 31, 2003, by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, who ordered heavy equipment to dig ditches into its runway.
The closure circumvented FAA regulations requiring a 30-day notice for airports with instrument approaches, surprising pilots, air traffic controllers, and airport employees.
Despite Daley's contested claims of security concerns and avoiding litigation, the city of Chicago was fined $33,000 by the FAA and required to repay $1 million in federal grant funds.
The incident led to the "Meigs Legacy Provision," significantly increasing fines for illegal airport closures, and became a rallying cry and cautionary tale for aviation advocates defending other threatened airports.

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Where were you on March 31, 2003, when the aviation world woke up to the news that Merrill C. Meigs Field in Chicago had been destroyed?

I was at Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, working as an aviation reporter. Early that morning I started getting voicemails and emails telling me about the large X’s carved into the runway, rendering it unusable and trapping a handful of aircraft based there.