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Labor Day weekend at O'Hare starts with a ground stop and a Simone Biles appearance

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Published  August 30, 2024 11:31am CDT
O'Hare International Airport
FOX 32 Chicago

Simone Biles among those traveling through Chicago for Labor Day weekend

O'Hare Airport is expecting to see a record number of travelers for the holiday weekend, two of them were Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and her husband, Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

The Brief

    • Labor Day weekend travel at O'Hare Airport began with early morning thunderstorms causing a 90-minute ground stoppage.
    • Another round of storms is expected to cause more disruptions on what is anticipated to be one of the busiest holiday weekends.
    • Travelers were also excited by a celebrity sighting of Olympic champion Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens/

CHICAGO - A long weekend, big crowds, a ground stoppage, and a celebrity sighting kicked off Labor Day travel at O’Hare Airport Friday.

The holiday weekend was off to a bumpy start in Chicago. Early morning thunderstorms forced a 90-minute ground stoppage at around 6 am. Fifteen flights were canceled, and there were numerous delays.

Another round of thunderstorms is expected this afternoon and will likely cause more cancelations and delays. Add this to what’s expected to be one of the busiest Labor Day weekends ever at O’Har and you can expect some long lines.

Airlines said traffic is up about 10% at O’Hare over last year.

"There’s so many people here but we’re getting good luck," said Pete Johnson. "We had bad weather in New York City. But I think it’s going to be a nice weekend in Chicago so we’re fired up."

Another traveler was fired up about his arrival in Chicago for an entirely different reason, a celebrity sighting of the most famous female gymnast ever. U.S. Olympic champion Simone Biles and husband, Jonathan Owens of the Chicago Bears.

"I walked right past her and I was like ‘no that can’t be her,’" said Rodney from Virginia. "And it was her. I saw Simone and her husband and yeah, I was hyped."

Rodney was quick to call a friend. "I’m looking right at her," he said on his cell phone.

But the couple made it through baggage check with hardly anyone noticing them. They may have been thankful for the Labor Day crowd.