The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on September 11, 2026, after imposing it earlier that day starting at 12:08 p.m. due to thunderstorms across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. The ground stop was replaced by a ground delay program in effect from 6:00 p.m. to 9:59 p.m. to regulate arrival flow into the airport.
Flight Delays Persist Despite Ground Stop Lift
Flights arriving at Atlanta under the FAA’s ground delay program on the evening of September 11 faced an average delay of 107 minutes, with the longest arrival delay reaching 271 minutes. Departing flights from Hartsfield-Jackson experienced delays averaging
75 minutes, with delays increasing as the evening progressed. The ground delay program applied to flights departing airports within 1,000 nautical miles of Atlanta, adjusting departure times to limit the number of inbound aircraft arriving simultaneously.
Weather Causes Widespread Disruptions
Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall moving through metro Atlanta and North Georgia triggered multiple ground stops beginning at 12:08 p.m. on September 11, 2026. The severe weather conditions, tracked by the CBS News Atlanta NEXT Weather team, also caused localized flooding in the region, further complicating airport operations and contributing to flight disruptions throughout the day and evening.
Passengers traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson on September 11
encountered substantial delays even after flight restrictions eased. Arrival waits approached two hours on average, while departures from the airport faced growing postponements into the late evening.
