Chicago: A commercial airliner and a private jet narrowly avoided a runway collision at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, marking the latest in a series of safety incidents at U.S. airports.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a Southwest Airlines flight had to abort its landing on Tuesday morning when a FlexJet business jet mistakenly entered the runway without proper authorization.
Video footage captured around 8:50 a.m. local time shows Southwest Flight 2504, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, suddenly pulling up as it approached the runway, passing directly over the smaller FlexJet Challenger. The Boeing, which can carry up to 175 passengers, was just 50 feet above the ground when it initiated the emergency "go-around" maneuver — circling the airport and making a second, successful landing attempt.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the Southwest plane came within approximately 625 meters (2,050 feet) of the business jet, which was taxiing on runway 31C ahead of its scheduled departure to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Southwest aircraft reached an altitude of only 250 feet when it passed over the FlexJet before climbing back to 3,000 feet following air traffic control instructions.
Audio recordings of the incident reveal that the FlexJet pilot misunderstood directions from the ground control tower, which had twice instructed the plane to "hold short" of the runway. A ground controller can later be heard urgently repeating, “FlexJet560, your instructions were to hold short of runway 31 center.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the event. A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said the flight crew followed standard safety protocols and landed without further complications.
FlexJet, whose Challenger jet can carry up to nine passengers, acknowledged the incident and affirmed its commitment to high safety standards. “We are conducting a thorough investigation and will take any necessary steps to maintain the highest levels of safety,” a company representative stated.
Aviation experts have described the event as a "very serious runway incursion." Former FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti noted that while the incident was alarming, runway incursions of this severity remain relatively rare — with only seven reported in 2024 so far, compared to 22 in 2023.
John Goglia, a former NTSB board member, praised the Southwest pilot’s quick response, suggesting it prevented a potential disaster. “The system worked exactly as it should — the pilot recognized the danger and acted immediately,” he said.
The incident occurs amid rising concerns over aviation safety in the U.S., following a series of crashes and near-misses in recent months. In January, an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter, killing 67 people. February saw a Delta Airlines flight overturn while landing in Toronto, though all 80 passengers survived.
Compounding the issue, the FAA faces ongoing staffing shortages and outdated infrastructure. The agency is currently short around 3,500 air traffic controllers, and modernization efforts require billions in funding.
Political debate has also erupted over the Trump administration’s recent decision to lay off 352 FAA employees, some of whom were involved in safety operations. Although Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insisted these cuts didn’t affect air traffic controllers or safety-critical positions, lawmakers have raised concerns about their potential impact on aviation safety.
The FAA had already begun auditing runway safety at the nation’s busiest airports last October. Tuesday’s near-collision underscores the urgency of addressing these systemic challenges before they lead to more serious accidents.
