Atlanta Airport Cancellations and Delays | Winter weather impacts Hartsfield-Jackson

ATLANTA – Officials at Atlanta’s airport are trying to restart operations after a winter storm brought operations to a halt on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday morning, 60 flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and 112 flights into the airport had been canceled. Dozens more faced delays.

Travelers should double-check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. Once there, the security lines should be quick – which will be very different than the day before.

What we know:

Thousands of travelers faced extremely long TSA security lines, delays and cancellations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday.

Airport officials said there were myriad reasons for the slowdown: the National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities and, of course, the looming winter weather.

“We made plans. We watched the weather, watched the game, we monitored all the events. Remember…we have the MLK holiday, so of course a lot of people are coming to Atlanta to participate in watching this. So it was a very, very busy time,” said airport communications manager Andy Gobeil.

Airport officials said airlines added additional flights to accommodate the college football crowd.

FOX 5 Atlanta, much like the game, found different reactions on both sides.

What they say:

“We would wait in line for 24 hours if we could relive last night so we wouldn’t get too upset,” Carson Knabe said with a smile.

“We’ll probably miss our flight. But we just carry on. You live and learn,” complained Alyssa Eshelman, a Notre Dame fan.

Airport officials handed out water bottles, kept everyone informed and kept all gates open.

When snow began to fall in the afternoon, airlines delayed or canceled even more flights.

Shortly before 7 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration reported a ground stop for all Delta Air Lines flights at Atlanta Airport due to snow and ice.

The ground stop lasted until shortly before 10 p.m

At this point, 763 flights (over 500 from Delta) were delayed. 306 flights (125 from Delta) were canceled.

On Wednesday morning, travelers arriving at the airport found that icy roads made it difficult for them to take the next steps of their journey.

Tameka Bolden told FOX 5’s Kaitlyn Pratt that she arrived on a flight from Dubai that morning but couldn’t leave the airport.

“My car is at the dealer, so we couldn’t go and pick it up,” she said. “Couldn’t get an Uber, couldn’t get anything, so I’m home but I’m stuck.”

The other side:

“If we have higher than expected passenger volumes at the same time, there will be delays. We try to make sure they feel comfortable,” Gobeil said.

FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to Delta Air Lines for comment on the ground delay:

The airline states that the ground delay program for arriving flights aims to “regulate incoming traffic so that the airfield does not become overcrowded and delays in taxi taxiing occur.”

“Things are moving and there is a defrost happening,” the spokesman continued. “As stated on the FAA website, it is scheduled to expire at 10:59 p.m. local time, but could end earlier.”

Dig Deeper:

In anticipation of the snowfall, the airport’s maintenance team pre-treated the runway with de-icing fluid. Multiple crews work around the clock to keep the airfield operational.

A winter storm warning has now been issued for the following counties: Spalding County, Carroll County, Butts County, Heard County, Newton County, Forsyth County, Morgan County, Fayette County, Oconee County, North Fulton County, Walton County, Putnam County, Clayton County, Hall County, Henry County, Rockdale County, South Fulton County, Barrow County, Troup County, Greene County, Meriwether County, Lamar County, Cobb County, Gwinnett County, Douglas County, Pike County, Jasper County, DeKalb County, Upson County, Clarke County, Coweta County, Jackson County.

The warning expires at 7 a.m. Wednesday.