Hundreds of flights were canceled at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as the city grapples with the aftermath of severe weather, disrupting travel plans for thousands during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year.
More cancellations and delays are anticipated as the airport works to resume normal operations following thunderstorms and heavy rain that swept through the region.
Officials say crews are working around the clock to restore full functionality, but the timing couldn’t be worse as holiday travelers continue to flood the airport. Passengers are being urged to check their flight status frequently and prepare for potential delays as recovery efforts continue.
Severe Storm Triggers Hundreds of Flight Cancellations at World’s Busiest Airport as July 4th Travel Rush Begins
As of early Saturday afternoon, more than 450 flights in and out of Atlanta had been canceled, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Hundreds more were delayed, impacting travel plans for thousands of passengers.
Delta Air Lines, which operates its primary hub at the Atlanta airport, was hit hardest by the disruptions.
The airline added that several hundred more cancellations were likely throughout the weekend as recovery efforts continued.
Hartsfield-Jackson officials acknowledged the storm’s impact in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Severe weather overnight is causing delays and cancellations.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that strong winds Friday evening forced the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the control tower. Only a small team remained in place to guide inbound aircraft. Despite the intensity of the storm, which brought quarter-inch hail to the city, the FAA reported no operational incidents as a result of the evacuation.
The hailstorm also prompted a safety review of more than 100 Delta aircraft, all of which had to undergo inspections before being cleared for flight. Delta confirmed that these inspections were completed by Saturday morning, but warned of “continued disruption this weekend as we recover safely and as quickly as possible.”
Friday evening also saw a ground stop at the airport, temporarily halting all departures. However, an airport spokesperson told CNN that the hour-long ground stop had “no impact on operations,” emphasizing that recovery procedures were already underway.
The disruptions come at a particularly critical time, as millions of Americans prepare to travel for the Independence Day holiday.
Over the entire holiday period, they anticipate handling more than 4 million travelers.
With storm recovery efforts still underway, passengers are urged to check with their airlines for the latest flight updates and prepare for possible further delays or cancellations over the weekend.