April 3, 2008
Karen Pride
Department of Aviation
(773) 686-3700
kpride@ohare.com
Mary Kay Marquisos
Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority
(312) 791-6237
mmarquisos@mpea.com
REAL-TIME FLIGHT INFORMATION ON DISPLAY AT MCCORMICK PLACE
Visitors View Flight Status Before Setting Off for O’Hare and Midway
CHICAGO – The Chicago Department of Aviation and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority have teamed up to install a flight information display system (FIDS) at McCormick Place. The new display mirrors flight information monitors at airports and will assist visitors traveling to O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
“The flight board allows McCormick Place visitors to access real-time flight departure information,” said Aviation Commissioner Nuria I. Fernandez. “Through this initiative we are enhancing customer service and helping people plan their trips to O’Hare and Midway.”
The FIDS unit is located in the McCormick Place Grand Concourse, above the main entrance near Gate 4, located at S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and E. 23rd Drive. The FIDS unit displays real-time information on both O’Hare and Midway flights.
“McCormick Place is always looking for ways to improve customer service and this is another valuable amenity we can now offer,” said David Causton, General Manager of McCormick Place. “Up-to-the-minute flight information allows attendees and exhibitors to maximize their length of stay at McCormick Place, thereby increasing the amount of business they can get done.”
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America. It hosts conventions, tradeshows, meetings and public events which attract close to three million visitors each year.
The Chicago Airport System currently operates four other FIDS at the following locations: the Blue Line terminus at O’Hare International Airport; O’Hare’s Kiss ‘N Fly station in E Parking Lot; the Clark / Lake CTA Blue Line (O’Hare) and Orange Line (Midway) station platforms. The first FIDS unit was installed in June 2006 at the O’Hare Blue Line terminus.
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About Chicago Airport System
The Chicago Airport System is self-supporting, using no local or state tax dollars for operations or capital improvements at O’Hare and Midway International airports. Together, Chicago’s airports generate more than $45 billion in annual economic activity and create 540,000 jobs for the region. Please visit www.flychicago.com to learn more about the Chicago Airport System.
About Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority
The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) is a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly. Its Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago. MPEA owns and operates McCormick Place®, North America’s premier convention center, and seeks to promote and operate conventions, fairs and expositions in the Chicago area. Historic Navy Pier®, the number one tourist and leisure attraction in the Midwest, is also owned and managed by MPEA and the Authority is charged with carrying out the recreational, commercial and cultural redevelopment and operation of Navy Pier. Together, these two world-class facilities generate approximately $4 billion annually for the city and state economies. MPEA is also active in the community and oversees a variety of programs that positively impact the thousands of people whose jobs are tied to McCormick Place and Navy Pier, as well as the millions who visit both venues each year.
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