A contract employee at a Chicago-area air traffic control center apparently set a fire and tried to kill himself, officials said Friday, shutting the facility and stopping all flights at the world's second-busiest airport.The bizarre situation resulted in a "ground stop," triggering the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights at O'Hare International Airport and nearby Midway Airport, according to an airline tracking website
Should they cancel all flights due to this one bizarre occurrence?
I think they did the right thing cancelling all the flights because they don't have a full idea about what happened in the fire. Something important could have gotten burned which could have led to an even bigger tragedy later. While I do realize this is inconvenient to the passengers, I know they would prefer being unhappy now than dead later because the aftermath of the fire wasn't properly inspected.
Also, I feel the airport employees (or all employees of that work in businesses that directly affect other people) should undergo a mental test every few years. The culprit of this fire was losing his mind, and if he had been screened they would have been able to remove him before he did anything rash. I also feel this should go for army personal, police, firefighters etc.
Cancelling the flights was the right thing to do. The precautions taken allowed everyone involved to safely walk away. Of course, cancelling all flights incoming and outgoing must have created some financial burden airlines must deal with now. I believe the cost was worth it in order to be sure no more lives would be at risk.
I believe that they should have canceled the flights. Something could have gotten damaged and that would mean more trouble for the airport. I however do not agree with Kayli that employees should have to undergo mental testing. When they are getting employed i think if the person have a metal illness like depression,anxiety, Etc. they should mention it to the employer, But if a person who has never had history with any sort of mental illness shouldn't be forced to under go mental illness testing.
I feel that if they didn't cancel flights, many people would have been put in danger. A lot of delayed flights may be hoovering over airports waiting to land because of this fire. The employees should be analyzed and positioned based upon where they are suited best. If they aren't capable of doing their job, and doing it effectively, then they shouldn't be working in their position.
I believe they should have stopped all flights for as long as it takes to ensure that everything is safe for all the travelers. It is better to have flights delayed a little longer than to have an accident and possibly harm others. The passengers may be unhappy but they will be safe.
They didn't really have a choice in cancelling the flights. It's something they had to do even though it inconveniences both airports and travelers. There was a fire and the employees of the tower had to evacuate or either burn or suffocate to death. The evacuation of just one tower of course is going to cause such a huge ripple in flight cancellations because one tower can direct thousands of flights in a day. It's a shame that an employee who knows how important his job is would do such a thing.
I'd like to add that I agree with Kayli when she said that employees in these kinds of businesses should undergo mental tests. It would help these occurrences happen less often, and protect more people.
cancelling all flights was the correct thing to do. above all else you couldnt put all those passengers in danger. airport personal didnt know if there was any other damage or malfunctions caused from the fire and they did the right thing keeping the people safe. There is no cost that out weighs potentially saving lives, they made the right decision.
