Nearly 500 flights at O’Hare, Midway airports delayed because of FAA computer outage

Nearly 500 flights at O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport are delayed this morning because of a computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration that brought flights across the country to a standstill. Another 57 flights at the two airports have been canceled, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The FAA said Wednesday morning it is making progress in restoring its Notice to Air Missions System, and expects departures to resume at airports across the country at 8 am Central Time.

The delays were initially concentrated along the East Coast, but spreading west.

“We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now,” the FAA said. “Operations across the National Airspace System are affected.”

The agency said that some functions are beginning to come back on line, but that “National Airspace System operations remain limited.”

Southwest Airlines said it expects some schedule adjustments as the issue is resolved. The airline is encouraging customers to check their flight status and posted a travel advisory on its website with information regarding flexible rebooking options.

The Associated Press contributed.