Bad weather adds to cancelations at world’s busiest airport
The second day of the FAA’s flight reduction order brought hundreds of delays and cancellations at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, compounded by a Saturday ground stop caused by storms. As of mid-afternoon, more than 580 flights were delayed and 250 canceled. Union leaders say the flight cuts are a safety measure as the government shutdown continues to strain air traffic controllers.
ATLANTA – The second day of the FAA’s flight reduction order brought more headaches at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as a ground stop due to storms added to the growing number of delays and cancellations.
Tracking cancellations at the Atlanta airport
Big picture view:
The ground stop went into effect at 2:39 p.m. Saturday and was scheduled to last until 4 p.m.
It’s unclear which of the disruptions were caused by the FAA’s flight reduction order and which were weather-related. In total, the airport reported 592 delayed flights and 327 canceled flights as of 7 p.m., according to tracking website FlightAware.com.
By comparison, on Friday, 87 flights were canceled and 522 were delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson, according to FlightAware.
Flight delays at the Atlanta airport
By the numbers:
Most of the flights delayed or canceled on Saturday were operated by Delta Air Lines and Endeavor Air, which operates Delta Connection flights.
As of 7 p.m. Saturday, 191 Delta flights had been canceled and 435 were delayed, according to FlightAware. Endeavor Air reported 65 canceled flights and 21 delayed flights.
For Delta, 140 of the canceled flights were departures from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and 116 were inbound to Atlanta.
Air traffic controller shortage
Dig deeper:
The airport is still facing an air traffic controller staffing shortage as well, according to the FAA.
Dan McCabe, vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) representing thousands of controllers in the Southern region, said the FAA flight reductions are a necessary safety measure. McCabe, a longtime Atlanta-area controller, said the government shutdown is taking a toll on workers, some of whom have been forced to miss work due to financial strain.
Airlines working with customers during shutdown
What you can do:
Airlines across the country are assisting customers affected by the changes. Most, including Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, are easing change and refund policies to allow passengers more flexibility.
Atlanta airport security wait times
Local perspective:
A positive note on flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport: wait times don’t seem to be higher than average. According to the airport’s website, wait times are below 15 minutes at every checkpoint.
The Source: Information in this article came from FlightAware.com, the FAA website, and past FOX 5 reporting.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportAtlantaNewsWeather
