Chicago Midway Loses One of Its Four Runways for a Month After Jet Blast Damages a Key Safety System

Chicago Midway International Airport has pulled one of its four runways out of service for roughly a month after the arresting system at the end of the runway was damaged, with jet blast among the causes. The airport continues to operate with its remaining three runways, but travelers have been told to expect possible delays and cancellations while crews carry out repairs.

What Happened

The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) announced on Monday, 19 October, that Runway 22L has been shut to both landings and takeoffs. The decision was made in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and took effect right away, with the department aiming to finish repairs by mid-November. The runway, known as Two-Two-Left, closed late on Monday night. 

The problem lies with the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at the departure end of the runway, which the department says was damaged by recent aircraft operations, jet blast among them. 

How the System Works

EMAS is a bed of crushable material placed beyond the end of a runway, typically running the full width of the pavement. The FAA describes it as a system designed to help stop planes that overrun or veer off a runway: as an aircraft's wheels roll in, the load on its landing gear slows it down. Public airport listing data puts the bed at the end of Runway 22L at 346 feet long and 170 feet wide. 

Why Jet Blast Is a Known Concern

Engine exhaust has long been a design consideration for these beds, which are typically set back from the runway end and have their blocks coated to limit damage from departing aircraft. The coating also lets beds sit closer than the standard 75 feet, a useful trait where space is tight, as it is at Midway. Trade reporting on Midway's earlier upgrades also noted that pilots there tend to use nearly every foot of runway and apply full thrust for takeoff, sending blast across the arrestor beds.

Why the System Matters at Midway

Owned by the city and run by the CDA, Midway sits about nine miles southwest of Chicago, hemmed in by streets, homes and businesses. It is the city's second-busiest airport, its runways are shorter than those at O'Hare, and Boeing 737s have long been the most common aircraft using them. FAA policy has identified EMAS as equivalent to a 1,000-foot runway safety area, a buffer Midway has long lacked at the ends of its runways. 

The beds were installed following a December 2005 accident in which Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, arriving from Baltimore, overshot a different runway during a snowstorm, went through the perimeter fence and killed a six-year-old boy riding in a minivan with his parents. Former NTSB chairman Jim Hall said at the time that there was "really no margin for error at the end of that runway." 

Use of the technology has since expanded. When the accident happened, beds were in place at the end of 18 runways at 14 US airports, and a federal law passed around then required airports to either build EMAS or extend their runway safety zones by 2015. The FAA now says EMAS is installed at more than 70 airports across the country and has safely stopped more than 20 aircraft that overran a runway. 

What It Means for Travelers

The CDA says the closure could cause delays and cancellations, with the extent depending on airline schedules and weather, particularly wind direction, which shapes how the four-runway network can be used for arrivals and departures. The effect may therefore vary from day to day. The department says it will work closely with the FAA and the airlines at Midway to limit the operational impact, and travelers are encouraged to check their flight status before heading to the airport. 

CDA Commissioner Michael McMurray said "Safety is the top priority at Chicago's airports," adding that the aim is a repair that is both safe and swift. 

The airport's layout has been changing in recent years. A $47 million project to reconfigure Runway 13C/31C broke ground in June 2025, alongside the decommissioning of a runway that had been closed since 2023, after which 13C/31C took on the designation 13L/31R. The stated goal was to reduce delays and traffic across the airfield.

What Happens Next

As of Tuesday, 20 October, the CDA says it will keep travelers and airport partners informed throughout the repair process, and it is working with the FAA to bring the runway back into normal use promptly and safely. Several details remain unclear. The statements reported so far do not name a specific aircraft or incident behind the damage, describe how extensive it is, or list the flights likely to be affected. 

Trade reports and the manufacturer's own case study offer one point of comparison. Midway's original beds were installed in 2007 and 2008 and replaced with a newer design between 2014 and 2016, with each installation completed during a runway closure lasting a matter of days. The department's statements do not explain why the current repair is expected to take about a month.

For now, the episode is a reminder of how a safety feature most passengers never see can shape an airport's day-to-day capacity.