How storms and a government shutdown wrought havoc on Atlanta air travel
Tens of thousands of travelers have had trips upended this week as storms caused Delta and other airlines to cancel hundreds of flights.
On top of that, pressures from a partial government shutdown have built over weeks as security screeners work without pay, and staffing is beginning to crumble.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, about 36% of TSA officers have called out of work, according to airport officials.
Hourslong waits are now prompting Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines to warn some travelers to get to Hartsfield-Jackson as much as four hours before their departure time, particularly for international passengers.
Hartsfield-Jackson has been advising travelers to get to the airport three hours early, which an airport spokesperson said Tuesday means being in the TSA line three hours early — in addition to any time needed to check bags.
Although Wednesday mornings are not typically a busy period, some wait times early Wednesday reached nearly an hour, according to the airport’s posted wait times.
Here’s a rundown of why the flight cancellations and disruptions have continued for days, and what travelers should know to navigate the hassles.
Multiple Delta hubs hit by storms over three days
A storm in the Midwest started disrupting air travel on Saturday, including at Delta’s hub in Minneapolis, according to FlightAware.com.
The blizzard caused even greater disruptions in Minneapolis on Sunday, with mass cancellations.
Ahead of the Monday morning rush, Delta’s largest hub in Atlanta was hit with thunderstorms and tornado watches that caused a ground stop to halt flights due to depart for Atlanta through much of the morning. Then as temperatures dropped, icy rain caused de-icing delays in the afternoon.
As stormy weather also hit the Northeast, Delta’s hubs at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport saw hundreds of flights canceled on Monday.
On Tuesday, as Delta tried to recover its operations, it continued to struggle after flight crews who worked long hours through the storms hit required rest times. Delta canceled more and more flights throughout the day.
It was an “expansive storm that touched the entire third of the country beyond Atlanta,” according to Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant. There were multiple air traffic control delays because of the storm, he added.
Flight crews have limits on how many hours they can be on duty before they have required rest periods. “There is no pause in duty time during a delay for any reason — that clock is always ticking,” according to Durrant.
All told, Delta canceled more than 220 flights Saturday, more than 500 flights Sunday, more than 675 Monday and more than 350 Tuesday.
At least some flight cancellations will continue into Wednesday, particularly on Spirit Airlines and Delta. But the numbers are expected to be significantly fewer. There were more than 50 flight cancellations in Atlanta by early morning Wednesday.
Travelers with upcoming flights should check their status before heading to the airport.
Tresie Cross, a traveler from Villa Rica on her way on a group trip to Cartagena, Colombia, said their Spirit Airlines flight through Fort Lauderdale was canceled Tuesday morning.
“They couldn’t get us out on another flight until Thursday,” she said, which would have meant missing their excursions and two days at their Airbnb.
She and the others in her group said they had to pay for flights on other airlines to get to Cartagena, so they’ll end up missing just one day.
They also paid for an Uber back home, then another Uber back to the airport to try to catch another flight.
“It’s the worst experience in my life, probably,” Cross said.
Security mess
The shutdown that halted funding for TSA officers’ pay is now in its fifth week.
Security screening waits hit a breaking point Sunday, reaching more than an hour as spring break crowds collided with the TSA staffing shortages.
And the long waits continued into Monday and Tuesday, with the airport’s posted wait times reaching nearly two hours during peak periods — though actual wait times can be even longer than the estimates.
Staffing shortages have led one of Hartsfield-Jackson’s four domestic security screening checkpoints to close, even during the busiest periods over the last several days.
The closure of the Lower North security checkpoint drove longer waits at the remaining checkpoints, and also meant the closure of a checkpoint for Clear members who pay extra to skip long lines.
While the South security checkpoint has been open for TSA PreCheck “trusted traveler” members and others, including Clear members with PreCheck access, those wait times reached as long as 50 minutes Tuesday, according to the airport’s posted wait times.
Some travelers have long tried to bypass long domestic waits by going to the international terminal.
But Hartsfield-Jackson officials warned Tuesday it is seeing “increased congestion” at the international terminal checkpoint caused by domestic travelers.
The airport warned against that tactic late Tuesday morning, posting: “At this time, wait times at the International Checkpoint are longer than those at the Domestic Terminal.”
At one point Tuesday morning, the airport’s posted wait times showed a 51-minute wait at the international checkpoint, a 28-minute wait at the domestic North checkpoint, a five-minute wait at the domestic South PreCheck checkpoint and an 87-minute wait at the domestic main checkpoint.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian called it “inexcusable” that TSA officers are not being paid. Some TSA officers have called out of work because they have been forced to find other jobs to pay their bills.
“It’s outrageous,” Bastian said. “We have a war going on. Let’s get our people who are essential to our security paid quickly.”
Travelers Al and Kathy Boykin, who were in Atlanta to visit their daughter, had one flight delayed Monday, then their Tuesday flight was canceled, and they were rebooked for that evening.
“It’s frustrating … (but) the Delta agent was very pleasant, very helpful. We know it’s not their fault,” Kathy Boykin said.
Hours before their rebooked flight, they sat in the domestic terminal atrium taking a break while watching the posted security wait times range from about 30 minutes to 55 minutes.
“When I look at the TSA agents and the fact that they’re here when they’re not getting paid, … we appreciate them,” Al Boykin said. “They don’t have to do it. … They’re not the problem.”
“Because they’re picking up so much extra is the challenge,” he said.
Hartsfield-Jackson is giving meal vouchers, free parking and free MARTA passes to TSA officers, while airport concessionaires are offering discounted meals.
In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, “We are deeply grateful for their professionalism and sacrifice, and we will continue doing everything we can locally to support them while urging a swift resolution to the shutdown.”
Across the country, more than 360 TSA officers have quit because of the shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
That could also have lasting effects even after funding resumes.
“This loss significantly decreases TSA’s ability to meet passenger demand and leaves critical gaps in staffing, as each new recruit requires 4-6 MONTHS of training,” DHS said in a social media post Tuesday.
Airport road detour
Those who are driving to the airport for upcoming flights and seeking to allow enough time to get through security lines should also know about an upcoming change on airport roads.
Starting Wednesday, construction of a new South parking deck will drive lane changes. All of the lanes on the upper-level roadway of Terminal South by Delta check-in and baggage claim will merge into one exit lane, according to Hartsfield-Jackson. The new traffic pattern is scheduled to last through March 30.
“Expect slower traffic near the Domestic Terminal, use extra caution, and allow extra travel time for drop-offs and pickups,” the airport said.
The airport is also moving its ParkATL park-ride shuttle pickups to the lower level of Terminal South, while hotel, motel and off-airport parking shuttles will drop off passengers on the lower level of Terminal North.
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