Storm causes hundreds of flight cancellations in Atlanta

Severe storms overnight triggered mass flight cancellations and delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, just as the busy 4th of July travel period begins.

Hundreds of flights were canceled at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday following a powerful storm overnight. The disruption comes as millions begin holiday travel ahead of the Fourth of July.

By early afternoon, more than 450 flights in and out of Atlanta were canceled, with hundreds more delayed, according to FlightAware.

Delta, which uses Atlanta as its main hub, was hit hardest. Fourteen percent of the airline’s total flights were canceled by Saturday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration said strong winds forced most air traffic controllers to evacuate the control tower Friday evening, leaving a small crew to manage inbound planes.

Thunderstorms also brought hail to the area, prompting safety inspections on over 100 Delta aircraft. The airline said its maintenance teams were working quickly to clear the backlog.

A temporary ground stop was issued Friday evening due to the severe weather, further limiting takeoffs.

The disruption comes as AAA projects 5.84 million Americans will fly over the holiday period. Atlanta airport alone expects over 4 million passengers between June 28 and July 6, with nearly 400,000 on Friday.

Hartsfield-Jackson remains the world’s busiest airport, serving more than 100 million passengers in 2024.

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