The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on September 11, 2026, replacing it with a ground delay program scheduled from 6:00 p.m. until 9:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This ground delay program applies to departing flights from airports located within 1,000 nautical miles of Atlanta and manages air traffic by assigning revised departure times to control arrivals at the airport.
Flight Delay Details
Flights arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson under the ground delay program were delayed an average of 107 minutes, with the longest arrival delay reaching 271 minutes. Departing flights from Atlanta experienced an average delay of 75 minutes,
with those delays increasing as operations continued. The program impacts flights originating from airports within a 1,000 nautical mile radius, aiming to limit congestion caused by the weather conditions affecting the region.
Weather Conditions and Impact
The disruptions stem from thunderstorms and heavy rain moving across metro Atlanta and North Georgia throughout September 11, 2026. The first FAA ground stop was issued at 12:08 p.m. as multiple weather systems caused hazardous conditions. CBS News Atlanta NEXT Weather team tracked these storms, which have the potential to cause localized flooding in affected areas. The persistent thunderstorms forced the FAA to impose several ground stops before
implementing the ground delay program in the evening.
Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson continue to face significant delays despite the lifting of the initial ground stop. Arrival delays average nearly two hours, with some extending beyond four hours. Departure delays from Atlanta are also substantial, averaging 75 minutes and trending upward as the airport works through the storm’s impact. The FAA uses the ground delay program to control the flow of inbound flights by adjusting departure times from surrounding airports to prevent overcrowding at Atlanta’s airspace and runways.
