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Atlanta Airport Delays and Cancellations Plague Holiday Weekend Travel
Severe storms overnight on Friday wreaked havoc at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, causing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays just as the busy Fourth of July travel period begins.
Over 450 flights were cancelled by Saturday afternoon, according to FlightAware, with hundreds more delayed. Delta Airlines, which uses Atlanta as its hub, has been particularly hard hit, with 14% of its flights cancelled.
The airline issued a statement confirming it is working to restore normal operations and assist affected passengers. Delta anticipates further disruptions throughout the weekend as they work to recover.
The severe weather, which included powerful winds and quarter-inch hail, forced the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the tower on Friday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A small crew remained to manage incoming flights.
The hail also necessitated inspections of over 100 Delta aircraft, further contributing to the delays. While a ground stop was briefly in place Friday evening, airport officials stated it did not significantly impact operations.
These disruptions come as millions of Americans are gearing up for Fourth of July travel. AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home during the holiday period, with nearly 6 million expected to fly.
Hartsfield-Jackson anticipated nearly 400,000 passengers on Friday alone, and over 4 million throughout the holiday travel period. The airport served over 100 million passengers in 2024, solidifying its status as the world’s busiest.