The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on September 11, 2026, following an initial halt that began at 12:08 p.m. The ground stop was replaced by a ground delay program from 6 p.m. until 9:59 p.m. that day to manage air traffic flow amid ongoing weather disruptions.
Flight Delay Statistics at ATL
Flights destined for ATL under the ground delay program encountered an average arrival delay of 107 minutes, with the longest recorded delay reaching 271 minutes. Departures from Hartsfield-Jackson faced an average delay of 75 minutes, which was reported to be increasing as the evening progressed.
Weather Conditions Impacting Operations
Thunderstorms and heavy rain swept through metro Atlanta and North Georgia on September 11, causing the initial ground stop and persistent flight delays. The localized heavy downpours raised concerns for flooding in the region, further complicating airport operations.
The FAA’s ground delay program affected flights departing from airports within 1,000 nautical miles of Atlanta. These flights were assigned revised departure times to control the volume of arrivals at Hartsfield-Jackson and minimize congestion during the storm-related disruptions.
Despite the lifting of the ground stop in the early afternoon, passengers at ATL continued to face significant travel delays throughout the evening. Arrival
flights remained delayed by nearly two hours on average, while departure delays also remained high and were expected to increase amid ongoing storm activity.
