Daywatch: How O’Hare and Midway rank in a new airport survey
Good morning, Chicago.
Passenger satisfaction with O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport is dropping as air travelers return to Chicago, a new study shows.
Both of Chicago’s airports ranked below average for customer satisfaction among similarly sized airports, according to J.D. Power’s 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, made public today. Among the country’s biggest airports, only Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey ranked below O’Hare.
The move to second-to-last marked an improvement for O’Hare from the 2021 study, when it ranked at the very bottom of the nation’s mega-airports.
The drop in scores at Chicago’s two airports reflects a nationwide trend, according to J.D. Power. Satisfaction with airports across the country fell as travelers encountered crowded terminals, fewer flight options, rising prices and labor shortages at airports and airlines, the study found.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat.
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At least eight injured in explosion on West Side, officials say
At least eight people were injured when a four-story building partially collapsed due to an explosion on the city’s West Side Tuesday morning, according to authorities.
The rush hour morning explosion destroyed nearly every window in the building and showered the street below with bricks and dust, destroying at least a couple of parked cars. At least 10 ambulances were dispatched to the scene, with six transports. The total number of injuries was not immediately clear, but according to fire officials, eight people were taken to hospitals. View photos of the emergency response here.
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Next Gen Foods is a plant-based food-tech startup founded in Singapore in 2020 with bold American ambitions. The company announced today it has selected Chicago as its U.S. headquarters, becoming the latest entrant in a growing field of alternative protein producers.
For now, Next Gen Foods produces one alt-meat product, a plant-based chicken it calls Tindle, after John Tyndall, the 19th century Irish physicist who proved the connection between atmospheric carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. The alt-chicken is on the menu at about 1,000 restaurants worldwide, 15 of which are in the Chicago area.
Chicago Bears Q&A: Do the coaches doubt Justin Fields as a passer? What is with Kyler Gordon’s rookie struggles?
After the Chicago Bears threw the ball only 11 times in a 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, readers want to know if the coaches doubt quarterback Justin Fields’ ability in the passing game — as well as questions about Kyler Gordon’s rookie struggles and whether Week 3 against the Houston Texans is a “must-win.”
Brad Biggs answers those questions and more in his weekly mailbag.
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The biggest questions will take care of themselves when the Chicago Blackhawks open training camp today.
General manager Kyle Davidson and coach Luke Richardson will start the day by fielding questions about the big picture and the small details — and the elephant in the room: What’s going to happen with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews?
But that’s a matter for another day, writes Phil Thompson. With Davidson hitting the reset button on the team’s personnel pipeline, it’s just as pressing to examine how the prospects fare against pro competition during practices, scrimmages and preseason games.
