The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) canceled the ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on September 11, 2026, replacing it with a ground delay program effective from 6 p.m. to 9:59 p.m. that same day. The program adjusted departure times to manage the flow of arriving flights amid ongoing delays.
Flights inbound to the airport experienced an average delay of 107 minutes, with the longest reaching 271 minutes. Departing flights from Hartsfield-Jackson faced an average delay of 75 minutes, with delays increasing as the evening progressed.
The FAA’s ground delay program applied to flights departing airports within 1,000 nautical miles
of Atlanta. Multiple ground stops were issued starting at 12:08 p.m. throughout the day before the transition to the delay program to control congestion caused by weather events.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain impacted metro Atlanta and the North Georgia region on September 11, 2026, according to CBS News Atlanta NEXT Weather team reporting. The severe weather conditions also raised concerns about localized flooding in affected areas.
These weather disruptions led to extended waiting times and operational slowdowns at one of the world’s busiest airports, affecting passengers on both inbound and outbound flights throughout the day.
