United Airlines has temporarily moved its operations center away from downtown Willis Tower to a suburban location. The move comes after some unrest in downtown Chicago, which could have broader security and network concerns.
United temporarily moves away from Willis Tower
United Airlines is based in Chicago, Illinois. Its main operations center and headquarters are located in Willis Tower, the former Sears Tower. However, recently, United moved its operations center temporarily away from Willis Tower to a location in the suburbs amid increased unrest in Chicago.
The situation in Chicago
Much of the United States, and in some other places around the world, the death of George Floyd from an officer pressing his knee against Mr. Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes causing Mr. Floyd’s death, lead to a wide array of protests over police brutality, especially at the hands of minorities. Most of those protests have remained peaceful, including in Chicago.
However, after a police shooting in Chicago of a suspect on Sunday, things took a turn for the worse. The New York Times reports that a mass gathering of people on Chicago’s well-known shopping district, known as the Magnificent Mile, looted stores, broke windows, and held confrontations with the police.
Willis Tower is not too far from the Magnificent Mile– under two miles away. As one of Chicago’s most famous landmarks, there are concerns that the security of Willis Tower could be compromised like the Magnificent Mile was. This led to United’s temporary move to the suburbs. United will be back, however, as it has a long lease on the space.
source https://simpleflying.com/riots-prompt-united-airlines-to-empty-chicago-operations-center/
