More than 1.3K delays, 450+ cancellations at Atlanta airport Monday
Travel troubles at Hartsfield-Jackson
Passengers are having to wait for a couple of hours right now at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Severe weather and TSA staffing shortages are being blamed for the issues.
ATLANTA - A potent combination of severe weather and critical staffing shortages triggered widespread disruption Monday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, leaving thousands of travelers facing massive delays and cancellations Monday morning.
What they're saying:
FlightAware reported more than 1,300 delayed flights and more than 460 cancellations around 10 p.m. The weather system, which has already prompted virtual learning days for some local students, is also impacting major hubs in New York and Boston. Delta Air Lines has responded by issuing a travel waiver, offering flexible rebooking options for passengers whose plans are threatened by the storms.
Around 10 p.m., the FAA reported there was a ground stop for Delta Air Lines for some flights coming from Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, and Indiana until early Tuesday morning, but did not specify why. The average delay was reportedly less than an hour. According to a scheduled log of flights to and from those regions, it appears to impact less than 100 flights.
In a statement, Delta wrote:
"Delta requested a brief Air Traffic Control management program with the FAA Monday evening to meter inbound flights to our Atlanta hub for operational purposes. We appreciate the partnership with Air Traffic Control and our customers’ patience as we work through ensuing delays caused by severe weather in eastern North America today."
Adding to the meteorological chaos, TSA security wait times at the main checkpoint skyrocketed to more than two hours early Monday morning. At around 1 p.m., the wait time was reported to be 41 minutes at the same checkpoints.
The bottleneck is being attributed to ongoing TSA staffing shortages. Many employees are currently working without paychecks due to broader federal funding issues. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing TSA workers, is scheduled to hold a press conference this afternoon to address the working conditions as employees face their second missed pay cycle in recent months.
Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow at least three hours to navigate security checkpoints.
Long delays reported at Atlanta's airport
Very long delays are being reported Monday morning at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Delays are now at least a couple of hours due to a combination of severe weather and TSA shortages caused by partial government shutdown.