Midway is Chicago’s second-busiest airport, central to holiday travel and recent security and safety incidents in the skies.
Since late June, civil aviation has faced several safety scares: a JetBlue A321 has reported a collision with a drone near JFK and landed safely; a United and a helicopter pilot have reported near-misses with unmanned aircraft near Newark and Manhattan; Delta 1076 reported a firework strike during descent into Chicago Midway; and LOT Polish Airlines flight 155 emitted a false hijack transponder code and was escorted to Burgas before authorities blamed a transponder error.
Delta Flight 1076 has been struck by a fireworks mortar during its descent into Chicago Midway. The crew has reported a loud bang but the aircraft has landed safely with no injuries. FAA investigators are examining the incident as the plane undergoes inspection; multiple flights may be affected.