Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU) (radio communications: "Chicago Center") is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) operated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration.[1] It is located at 619 W. New Indian Trail Rd., Aurora, Illinois.[2]
The primary responsibility of Chicago Center is sequencing and separation of over-flights, arrivals, and departures in order to provide safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of aircraft.
Chicago Center covers approximately 91,000 square miles (240,000 km2) of the Midwestern United States, including parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Chicago Center lies adjacent to Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center, Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center, Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center, and Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center. ZAU overlies or abuts many approach control facilities (including Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, the Quad Cities, Peoria, Springfield, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids approaches).
Chicago Center is the fifth-busiest ARTCC in the United States. Between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, Chicago Center handled 2,343,281 aircraft operations.[3]
- ^ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2010, April 28). Air route traffic control centers. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/air_traffic_services/artcc/
- ^ StuckMic.com. (2012). Illinois Center/EnRoute Facility Locations - Contact Information. http://www.stuckmic.com/atc-facility-directory/illinois-centerenroute-facilities-90[permanent dead link]
- ^ Federal Aviation Administration. (2013). Air Traffic Activity System (ATADS). Retrieved from http://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/Center.asp