A sudden power outage at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — the world’s busiest airport — on Sunday grounded scores of flights and stranded thousands of passengers during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
Passengers were left in the dark when the lights suddenly went out in the early afternoon. Airport spokesperson Reese McCranie said all airport operations were affected, and outgoing flights were halted. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a “ground stop” for flights headed to the airport. That means flights heading to Atlanta were held on the ground at their departure airport.
1/2 The #FAA has put in a ground stop for flights headed to @ATLairport due to a power outage affecting the airport terminals. The FAA Tower can operate normally, however, departures are delayed because airport equipment in the terminals is not working.
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@FAANews
2/2 A ground stop means that flights headed to Atlanta are held on the ground at their departure airport.
We will update this statement when we get new information.
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@FAANews
Georgia Power spokesperson John Kraft said the utility was working to find out the cause and restore electricity. He could not estimate when the power might be restored.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service said on Twitter that due to the power outage, international flights were being diverted to other airports.
The Hartsfield-Jackson airport — serving 104 million passengers a year — is the world’s busiest, according to trade group Airports Council International, a distinction it has held since 1998. The airport serves an average of 275,000 passengers daily, according to its website. Nearly 2,500 planes arrive and depart each day.
In the dark. @ATLairport without primary power, and staff has no idea why. Computers, intercom, and facilities are down while confused flyers wait. pic.twitter.com/i3sWvwafWI
