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Chicago airport runway demolition stranded 16 planes in 2003

Chicago’s mayor ordered an overnight demolition of six airport runway sections in 2003, stranding 16 planes; the former airfield later reopened as habitat.

By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar .

Why it matters

The event caused significant but historical disruption to airport operations and air travel.

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  1. In 2003, Chicago's mayor sent bulldozers to carve six giant Xs into an airport runway overnight, stranding 16 planes; 12 years later, the former airfield reopened with 40 acres of prairie, wetlands and wildlife habitat ↗timesofindia.indiatimes.com · Recorded source date: Aug 21, 2026, 1:47 PM UTC

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