Sunita Somvanshi
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest air hub, continues to face major disruptions after powerful thunderstorms battered the region Friday night. As of Saturday morning, June 28, over 408 flights have been canceled, making Atlanta the most impacted airport in the United States, according to FlightAware data.
Friday evening’s storms brought heavy downpours, quarter-inch hail, and strong winds to the airport, forcing air traffic controllers to temporarily evacuate the control tower around 10:30 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that while most personnel were evacuated for safety, a few controllers remained to handle inbound aircraft.
Delta Air Lines, which operates over 900 daily flights from its Atlanta hub, was hit particularly hard. The airline diverted more than 90 flights on Friday night and had nearly 260 cancellations by Saturday morning. Delta spokesperson Erica Hutlas stated, “Delta people are working as safely and quickly as possible to recover flights impacted by thunderstorms, lightning, hail and winds at our Atlanta hub Friday night.”
The storms’ impact extends beyond the airport. Flash flooding closed lanes on I-75 in Clayton County, with emergency crews responding to the scene. Similar flooding was reported near CW Grant Parkway and Frontage Road. Thousands of residents across Metro Atlanta lost power as the severe weather downed trees throughout the region.
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These disruptions come during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Hartsfield-Jackson expects to serve more than 4 million passengers between Thursday and July 7, with Friday having been anticipated as the peak travel day with nearly 400,000 passengers.
Delta technicians inspected approximately 100 aircraft overnight for potential hail damage, with nearly all returning to service on Saturday. However, additional delays and cancellations are expected as airlines work to reposition aircraft and ensure flight crews meet mandatory rest requirements.
The 11Alive Weather Impact Team forecasts a continuing pattern of daily afternoon thunderstorms through the weekend, suggesting travelers may face ongoing disruptions. For those affected, checking flight status before heading to the airport and having backup travel plans is strongly advised.
As Atlanta works to recover from these weather-related disruptions, both passengers and airlines face the challenge of getting back on schedule ahead of the busy Fourth of July holiday travel period.
