The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before 6 p.m. EDT on September 11, 2026, replacing it with a ground delay program that lasted until 9:59 p.m. Flights departing airports within 1,000 nautical miles of Atlanta received revised departure times under this program to regulate arrival traffic at the airport.
Flight delays for arrivals to Atlanta averaged 107 minutes, with the longest delay reaching 271 minutes. Departing flights from Hartsfield-Jackson were delayed an average of 75 minutes, with delays continuing to increase throughout the evening.
Thunderstorms struck metro Atlanta and North Georgia beginning
at 12:08 p.m., prompting several ground stops through the afternoon. These storms brought heavy rainfall and contributed to potential localized flooding, disrupting flight operations in and out of Atlanta.
Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson experienced significant delays as the FAA managed air traffic flow amid the weather disruptions. Despite the lifting of the ground stop, scheduling adjustments remained necessary to control arrivals. The ground delay program governed flights originating from airports within a 1,000-nautical-mile radius of Atlanta.
The FAA’s use of ground stops and delays is a typical response during severe weather events to maintain air traffic safety and minimize congestion at
major hubs like Atlanta.
