Nation's air travel system slowly recovering after disruption

Last Updated Sep 27, 2014 9:04 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The nation's air travel system slowly began to recover Saturday after an alleged act of employee sabotage at a large regional air traffic control center brought Chicago's two international airports to a halt.

At the height of the travel misery Friday, more than 2,000 flights in and out of O'Hare and Midway airports had been canceled, sending waves of travel disruption rippling across the country.

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Ben Mutzabaugh, editor at USA Today, joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to discuss how the alleged arson fire at an air traffic control center is...

Authorities say a contract employee started a fire Friday morning in the basement telecommunications room of a control center in the Chicago suburb of Aurora and then attempted to commit suicide by slashing his throat. Brian Howard, 36, of Naperville, was charged with destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, a felony. The FBI said Howard remains hospitalized and no court date has been scheduled.

As of late Saturday afternoon, total Chicago flight cancelations for the day stood at more than 780 - still a damagingly high number, but an improvement. Southwest Airlines, the dominant carrier at Midway, had hoped to resume a full flight schedule Saturday, but had to cancel all flights between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.

Lines remained long at O'Hare, which is a major U.S. hub. Many travelers stranded overnight slept on cots provided by the airport, in scenes reminiscent of winter storm disruptions.

The Federal Aviation Administration facility in Aurora, about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago, handles planes cruising at high altitudes through the air space as well as those just beginning to approach or completing a departure from airports in the Chicago area. It remained shut down Saturday, and its responsibilities have been transferred to centers in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Minneapolis. The FAA's command center in Warrenton, Virginia, was also working to increase the traffic flow.

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Nation's air travel system slowly recovering after disruption