Atlanta airport sees cancellations, delays as ice storm moves into Georgia

Atlanta airport working to limit delays amid ice storm

Hartsfield-Jackson Altanta International Airport is facing significant operational challenges as an ice storm sweeps across the Southeast. While over 300 flights were canceled by Saturday evening, disruptions are expected to skyrocket to approximately 1,000 flights between today and Sunday. Despite the chaos, the terminal remains unusually quiet as travelers proactively utilize free rescheduling options to avoid being stranded. To combat the freeze, crews have deployed 300,000 gallons of liquid brine and nearly 100 tons of sand-salt mix to keep runways clear.

ATLANTA - As of Saturday evening, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is experiencing significant disruptions due to the ongoing ice storm across the Southeast.

By the numbers:

As of 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, the Atlanta airport has reported the following delays and cancellations for the next three days:

• Saturday / delays: 306, cancellations: 300
• Sunday / delays: 29, cancellations: 1,023
• Monday / delays: 2, cancellations: 51

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is reporting the most disruptions among flights, with other major airlines like Southwest and Frontier documenting high numbers.  

Dig deeper:

Ahead of the storm, Delta offered change and cancellation waivers. American Airlines and Frontier Airlines followed suit.

The backstory:

On Friday, the airport said it was preparing for the storm by rolling out 50 pieces of equipment to help clear planes and runways. The airport said it also enhanced training to prevent delays like those that followed last year's winter storm.

Big picture view:

Airports across the country have seen significant disruptions that began Saturday, with 17,679 delays and 4,503 cancellations reported. Sunday is shaping up to be another day of travel upsets with 2,175 disruptions and 9,779 cancellations announced as of Saturday night.