Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, following a severe storm overnight, just as a busy travel period for the Fourth of July begins.
More than 450 flights into and out of Atlanta had been cancelled as of early Saturday afternoon, according to FlightAware. Hundreds more were delayed.
Delta, which uses the Atlanta airport as its hub, is the most affected by cancellations, with 14% of the airline’s total flights cancelled, according to FlightAware.
The airline is “working to safely restore operations and assist customers impacted by the severe storms at our Atlanta hub Friday night,” according to a statement sent to CNN Saturday.
Delta stated that several hundred more cancellations are expected over the weekend.
“Severe weather overnight is causing delays and cancellations,” the airport stated Saturday in a post on X.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, powerful winds in Atlanta forced most air traffic controllers to evacuate the control tower on Friday evening. The FAA informed CNN that a small crew remained to handle inbound flights.
Furthermore, severe thunderstorms overnight brought quarter-inch hail to the city. According to Delta’s statement, more than 100 Delta aircraft were required to undergo inspection before being allowed to fly.
The airline reported that the inspections were completed on Saturday morning. They also said they expect “continued disruption this weekend as we recover safely and as quickly as possible.”
There was also a ground stop in effect Friday evening due to severe weather, which prevented aircraft from taking off. An airport spokesperson told CNN that the hour-long ground stop had “no impact on operations.”
The increasing delays come as millions of people prepare to travel for the Fourth of July. The AAA predicts that 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles away from home during the holiday season, which runs from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6, with 5.84 million travellers flying to their destinations.
The Atlanta airport expected nearly 400,000 passengers on Friday alone, and more than 4 million during the holiday season.
In 2024, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport served more than 100 million passengers, outpacing London’s Heathrow and Dubai International Airports.
