A United Airlines flight that diverted to Gary/Chicago International Airport at 10 a.m. Friday took off for O'Hare less than two hours later, avoiding a repeat of one year ago when a United flight with 123 on board sat on the Gary tarmac for six hours.

Flight 881, a Boeing 757 with 179 passengers on board, arrived at O'Hare at 11:53 a.m. after being diverted to Gary en route from Boston because of threatening weather at O'Hare, according to United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson.

Flight delays at O'Hare International Airport were averaging one hour Friday morning, and more than 50 flights were canceled. Waves of severe weather moved through Illinois on Friday, with large hail reported near Rockford and a funnel cloud south of Lake in the Hills.

A year ago when a United flight diverted at night to Gary, passengers complained they were not able to leave the plane and that food and water eventually ran out. Buses eventually came to take them to O'Hare.

In that case, airport facilities, including the control tower, were closed for the night, and airport personnel never received any request from the pilot to let passengers wait in the terminal, according to Airport Director Chris Curry.

On Friday, Curry said he and Gary Jet Center owner Wil Davis were both in contact with the pilot of United Airlines Flight 881.

As a contingency, Curry said he contacted the Transportation Security Administration for procedures to use if passengers were let off at the terminal. Curry said TSA approved a procedure where police would sweep an area of the terminal for contraband and then passengers could be allowed to wait there as long as there was no one else going in or out. That way, they could reboard the plane when it was time to leave.

In the end, the procedure never had to be used.

Gary has not had regularly scheduled airline service since start-up super-discounter Skybus folded in April of last year. It is used mainly by business fliers and private aviators.