CHICAGO- A delivery driver working for DoorDash entered unauthorised secured areas at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on Saturday, travelling several miles through restricted zones before being detected.
The weekend incident adds to a growing list of security concerns at Chicago’s major airports in recent months.
O’Hare Airport; Photo: Studio GangDoorDash Driver Breaches Chicago O’Hare
Around noon on Saturday, a 36-year-old DoorDash driver entered restricted areas of the airport that are strictly off-limits to unauthorised vehicles and personnel.
The contrast between this breach and the stringent enforcement of pickup and drop-off regulations at passenger terminals has raised questions about perimeter security protocols.
According to a source who spoke with CBS News Chicago, the delivery driver traveled miles along interior and restricted roads at O’Hare (ORD).
The vehicle potentially crossed active runways during this unauthorised journey. Personnel in the air traffic control tower eventually spotted the vehicle and alerted security.
Photo- DoorDash Serious Concerns
Robert Mark, a business jet pilot and former air traffic controller, characterised the incident as a significant safety concern.
“Luckily, not very often — but I have seen it, at other airports, and it’s frightening when you’re up, and then you go, ‘Who the heck is that?’” Mark stated when asked about the frequency of such breaches.
Mark emphasised the potential dangers of such security breaches, particularly under different circumstances. “But now imagine if this had been at night in the darkness, I mean, where no one noticed this person,” he said. “Headlights all look the same pretty much in the dark. This could have been really, really bad.”
Chicago police confirmed they investigated the incident, involving a 36-year-old male delivery driver who “accidentally drove into an unauthorized secured area within O’Hare Airport.” After conducting a preliminary investigation, authorities determined the driver’s actions resulted from a mistake rather than malicious intent. No charges or citations were issued following the incident.
Photo: By Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – N66837 United Airlines 2014 Boeing 737-924(ER) serial 60122 / 5168, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58251480Security Incidents at Chicago Airport
This incident continues a troubling pattern of security issues at Chicago’s major airports over the past 6 months:
On April 15, a passenger carrying a firearm was removed from a United Airlines (UA) flight at O’Hare and arrested. Besnik Ismajlaj, 53, from St. Charles, subsequently faced a misdemeanour charge for carrying a concealed firearm at the airport.
On February 25, a Southwest Airlines (WN) aircraft had to abort its landing at Midway International Airport (MDW) when a private business jet unexpectedly crossed its path while taxiing on the runway.
On December 24, 2024, a stowaway was discovered deceased in the wheel well of a United Airlines (UA) aircraft that had departed from O’Hare bound for Maui, Hawaii (OGG).
Photo: Clément AlloingOngoing Investigation
CBS News Chicago contacted DoorDash regarding the incident. The company acknowledged awareness of the situation and stated they are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding their driver’s unauthorised entry into secured areas of O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The incident raises questions about perimeter security effectiveness at one of the nation’s busiest airports and highlights potential vulnerabilities in access control systems designed to prevent unauthorized entry to sensitive operational areas.
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