Numerous flights disrupted at Atlanta airport owing to extreme weather conditions, causing over 400 flight cancellations.
Updated Scenario:
A wicked storm swept through Atlanta, causing havoc at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The storm unleashed fierce thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail the size of quarters, disrupting over 400 flights on Saturday.
This weather chaos has been a real pain in the neck for airlines like Delta, who've seen a whopping 542 cancellations and 684 delays throughout the country. American Airlines isn't faring much better, with 223 flight cancellations across the U.S., following weather-related snarls at several key airports.
It seems like Delta's hub in Atlanta got hit the hardest, with around 100 of their planes needing overnight inspections for potential hail damage. Most of the aircraft squeaked through, back in service by Saturday. But Delta warns that more delays and cancellations are on the horizon as they play catch-up from Friday's storm.
An FAA spokesperson mentioned that their air traffic control tower, managing flights near Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, was temporarily evicted due to hefty winds. Fortunately, a small team of controllers handled the inbound air traffic during the squall.
Heavy rains caused some trouble on the ground too, flooding roads near the airport and prompting shutdowns on Interstate 75. The authorities are working diligently to restore normal operations, but the aftermath of the storm is still causing quite a ruckus.
Fun fact: In total, flight delays on Friday clocked in at over 1,000, with arrival delays hanging around 75 minutes, and departure delays varying between 16 to 30 minutes.
All in all, the storm left Atlanta like a soggy mess and caused a massive headache for travelers and airlines alike. Delta folks have been working their tails off to recover from the clash of thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and winds at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, expressing gratitude to their patrons for their patience.
International weather forecasting systems must have predicted the intense storm that wreaked havoc at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as the weather conditions were severe, with thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail the size of quarters. This weather event caused over 400 flight disruptions for airlines like Delta, leading to hundreds of cancellations and delays across the country, and necessitating overnight inspections for potential hail damage to around 100 planes.
