ATLANTA, Ga. (WDNews) – Stormy weather Friday night caused major flight delays and cancellations at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport—just as the July Fourth travel rush is getting started.
As of early Saturday afternoon, more than 450 flights in and out of Atlanta had been canceled, and hundreds more were delayed, according to FlightAware. Delta took the hardest hit, with around 14% of its flights canceled. The airline uses Atlanta as its main hub.
Airport officials posted on X Saturday morning, blaming “severe weather overnight” for the disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration said strong winds forced most air traffic controllers to evacuate the control tower Friday evening. A small team stayed behind to guide incoming planes.
The storm also brought hail to the area, and a Delta employee told CNN that more than 100 planes needed inspection before they could fly. Delta’s maintenance crews are working through the backlog. A ground stop was also in place for a time Friday night, keeping planes on the ground during the worst of the weather.
It all comes as millions of people hit the road and skies for the holiday week. AAA expects over 72 million people to travel between June 28 and July 6, including nearly 6 million flying.
Atlanta’s airport saw nearly 400,000 travelers on Friday alone, with more than 4 million expected during the full holiday period. The airport remains the busiest in the world, serving more than 100 million passengers last year.
