More than 450 flights have been cancelled, and several others have experienced delays as of Saturday afternoon, as Atlanta is confronted with a significant storm during the holiday season.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled and numerous others were delayed following a severe storm that caused significant disruption in Atlanta overnight.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, recognized as the busiest airport globally, is experiencing flight delays at a time when many travelers are eager to return home to celebrate the Fourth of July with their families.
As reported by FlightAware, over 450 flights to and from Atlanta had been cancelled by early Saturday afternoon. Delta Airlines, which operates its hub at the Atlanta airport, is facing the highest number of cancellations. The airline has seen 14 percent of its total flights across the United States cancelled due to the storm in Atlanta.
In a statement to CNN, Delta Airlines remarked, “The airline is working to safely restore operations and assist customers affected by the severe storms at our Atlanta hub Friday night.” They also cautioned that several hundred additional cancellations are anticipated over the weekend. The airport noted on Saturday via a post on X, “Severe weather overnight is causing delays and cancellations.”
Strong winds impact Atlanta
The powerful winds in Atlanta led to the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the control tower on Friday evening, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA informed CNN that a crew remained to manage incoming flights.
Moreover, severe thunderstorms also resulted in quarter-inch hail falling in the city. As the storm continued to affect the area, more than 100 Delta aircraft required inspection before they could resume flying, as stated by Delta. The inspections were completed by Saturday morning. Delta indicated that they anticipate “continued disruption this weekend as we recover safely and as quickly as possible.”
The delays occurred as millions of individuals made preparations to travel for the Fourth of July. According to estimates from AAA, 72.2 million people are anticipated to travel at least 50 miles or more from their homes during the holiday period, which spans from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6, with 5.84 million travelers expected to fly to their destinations.
According to the authorities, the Atlanta airport is projected to accommodate nearly 400,000 passengers on Friday alone, and over 4 million passengers throughout the holiday period. Last year, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport served more than 100 million passengers, making it busier than both London’s Heathrow and Dubai International Airport.
