Thunderstorms Drive Hundreds of Canceled Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson

Thunderstorms in metro Atlanta on Sunday caused mass flight disruptions that continued to drive hundreds of flight cancellations at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Monday. Potential severe weather expected later today also could make a mess of flying as storms roll in.

More than 320 flights were canceled Sunday at the Atlanta airport, and more than 235 Atlanta flights have already been canceled Monday morning, according to FlightAware.com.

Flight cancellations can lead to canceled departures the next morning due to airplanes being out of place.

Airport officials on Monday urged travelers to monitor their flight status with airlines, saying the weather affected flight operations across the Southeast. Widespread thunderstorms will start to blanket the metro by late afternoon, especially around 5 p.m. Though metro Atlanta’s weather Monday morning was mostly clear, the area will be under a Level 3 of 5 risk for severe weather with the main concern being damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which has its largest hub at Hartsfield- Jackson, canceled more flights Sunday and Monday than any other airline, according to FlightAware. That includes more than 300 Delta flights canceled Sunday and more than 250 Delta flights canceled Monday. The flight cancellations Monday include morning and afternoon departures.

Delta said it is “focused on safely resetting our operation following three rounds of disruptive thunderstorms at our hometown hub yesterday. We apologize to our customers who may have been delayed given the storms’ impact yesterday.”

Ground stops, which temporarily halt incoming flights, were put in place by air traffic control Sunday afternoon and evening. Departure delays reached nearly two hours at one point. Another ground stop was put in place late Sunday night amid heavy volume.

At the domestic terminal at Hartsfield- Jackson, security waits were roughly 20 minutes at the North checkpoint just after 7 a.m., while waits in other lines were shorter.

Monday mornings are usually the busiest period of the week, with business travelers taking off and vacationers returning from weekend trips. The busy summer travel period has eased in Atlanta with many schools back in session.

-Staff writer Rosana Hughes contributed to this report.

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