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Philly International Airport Warns Travelers To Or Through Chicago To Check With Airline

CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — Officials at Philadelphia International Airport were warning anyone with flights to or through Chicago on Monday to check with their airline for possible delays or cancellations.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it's replacing the entire central computer network at a Chicago-area control center where an act of sabotage brought the city's two international airports to a halt.

The Chicago Department of Aviation says 500 flights were canceled at O'Hare and 50 at Midway on Sunday, though the FAA expects improvements on Monday. It was unclear how many flights were affected at Philadelphia International.

The agency says it's also improving direct communications between other facilities now handling Chicago's air traffic.

At the height of the travel misery Friday, more than 2,000 flights in and out of the airports were canceled, disrupting travel nationwide.

Authorities say a contract employee started a fire in the basement telecommunications room of a regional control center in suburban Aurora and then attempted to commit suicide.

Thirty-six-year-old Brian Howard of Naperville faces felony charges.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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