DoorDash Driver Breaches Tarmac Security at Chicago O’Hare Airport

A DoorDash delivery driver accessed the tarmac at Chicago O’Hare International Airport last month, raising serious concerns about perimeter security and response times at one of the nation’s busiest air travel hubs.

Surveillance footage obtained by Nexstar’s WGN shows a red Hyundai Elantra pulling up near a United Airlines wide-body jet at Terminal 1, Concourse C, around midday on May 17. The vehicle briefly stopped behind the aircraft before pulling alongside it. Baggage handlers spotted the unauthorized vehicle and approached the driver. However, it took nearly 10 minutes for a marked Chicago police vehicle to arrive at the scene.

According to WGN Investigates, the driver entered the restricted area through a security gate located at the southeast corner of the airport. This suggests the individual traveled a considerable distance across the O’Hare airfield without being intercepted or setting off alarms.

The driver reportedly followed GPS directions in an attempt to deliver a food order and told police he did not see a visible security guard at the gate. Authorities discovered the DoorDash meal and receipt in his car. No citations were issued, and the driver was released.

A security guard admitted to letting the vehicle through without reporting it. She told police she found the vehicle “strange and unfamiliar” but failed to alert the operations center or her supervisor.

Following the breach, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) terminated the guard’s airport credentials and ended her employment with Lincoln Security. The CDA also referred the matter to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for further investigation.

DoorDash has not confirmed whether the driver involved is still active on the platform.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, thehill.com