Traveler angst in Atlanta
What happens when security checkpoints at the nation’s busiest airport shut down for two hours in the middle of a busy travel day? Nothing good.
About 2pm (Eastern time) on Wednesday, April 19, the Transportation Security Administration at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) detected a “suspicious device” inside a bag. While the airport was not evacuated, flights were delayed and diverted, affecting the prime hub for both Delta Air Lines and discount airline AirTran Airways.
In the midst of the alert, Meara McLaughlin, vice president of business development and marketing for FlightStats, said: “There is a serious bottleneck at ATL that will impact the rest of the U.S. air system for the rest of the day.”
Indeed. FlightStats says that just six per cent of the 267 flights scheduled to depart from Atlanta between 3pm and 6pm had done so, and only 24 per cent of the 269 scheduled to arrive at the megahub during that time had landed.
CNN quoted Delta spokesman John Kennedy yesterday as saying: “It will take most of the evening for operations to return to normal.”
What happened to the “suspicious device?” The Transportation Security Administration says they didn’t find anything, and that an image seen by a screener - and security cameras - was being analyzed.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler