Severe thunderstorms over Atlanta created a major interruption in the nation’s air transportation system last week, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and sending the effects well beyond Georgia. Delta Air Lines, which operates its largest connecting hub in Atlanta, absorbed the greatest share of the disruption as aircraft, crews and passengers were displaced throughout its domestic and international network.
The trouble intensified Tuesday, Aug. 11, as thunderstorms interfered with normal flight operations around Hartsfield-Jackson. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed air traffic restrictions, including a ground stop, as weather reduced the airport’s ability to safely accommodate its normal volume of arriving and departing aircraft. By Wednesday, travelers were still confronting the consequences as airlines worked to restore schedules disrupted the previous day.
Reports from Atlanta showed more than 470 flight cancellations and approximately 558 delays during the disruption, with Delta accounting for roughly 391 of the cancellations. Other carriers operating at Hartsfield-Jackson were also affected, although Delta’s extensive Atlanta schedule left the airline particularly exposed when severe weather restricted operations at the airport…