ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Heavy rain and one of the busiest travel days of the year combined to create major delays Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where 879 flight delays had been reported by 11 p.m.
That number was up from about 750 delays at 7 p.m., and more than double what was recorded Monday night.
A ground stop earlier in the day had been lifted, but continued rain across metro Atlanta contributed to the ongoing backups.
Despite the disruptions, flights continued to depart, albeit behind schedule, and the airport logged just eight cancellations as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, the same number as Monday.
Travelers arriving in Atlanta reported different experiences depending on where they flew from. Many faced hours-long delays, while others said their trips were unusually smooth.
“Four hours waiting because the plane was leaving from Atlanta to San Antonio. It didn’t leave on time. It arrived 4 hours later,” said traveler Carmen Najera.
Alan Richer, flying from New York, described a similar ordeal.
“We were flying in from Albany, New York. We got to the airport at 10 o’clock. Our original flight was supposed to leave around 12:30. We didn’t leave until around 4:30,” Richer said.
But for some, the day brought no trouble at all. “I’m flying in from Baltimore,” said traveler Sam Thompson. “It was probably one of the smoothest flying experiences I’ve had. I was actually able to transfer to an earlier flight. We had turbulence on the way in but overall smooth.”
Airport officials expect 4 million passengers to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson during the Thanksgiving travel period.
The airport’s busiest day is projected to be Monday, Dec. 1, when an estimated 375,000 travelers are expected — a figure officials say is lower than last year.
Travelers scheduled to fly Wednesday should closely monitor their airline apps, with at least a dozen delays already appearing on departure boards as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.
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