Storms Cause Major Flight Disruptions At Atlanta Airport Ahead Of July Fourth Travel Rush

 

Severe storms have triggered hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, just as the busy Fourth of July travel season begins.

By early Saturday afternoon, over 450 flights into and out of the Atlanta airport — the world’s busiest — had been canceled, with hundreds more delayed, according to data from FlightAware.

Delta Air Lines, which operates its primary hub out of Atlanta, has been the hardest hit. Approximately 14% of its flights were canceled as the airline continues efforts to restore service following Friday night’s storm. In a statement, Delta confirmed that disruptions are expected to continue through the weekend as recovery operations continue.

“Severe weather overnight is causing delays and cancellations,” the airport stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

On Friday evening, powerful winds forced the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the control tower, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A small team remained to guide inbound flights. The storm also brought quarter-inch hail to the Atlanta area, prompting inspections of more than 100 Delta aircraft. The airline reported Saturday morning that those inspections had been completed.

Although a ground stop was issued Friday evening due to the weather, an airport spokesperson said it had “no impact on operations” beyond the existing weather-related delays.

The travel disruptions come as millions of Americans gear up for Independence Day travel. AAA forecasts that 72.2 million people will journey at least 50 miles from home between Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, July 6. An estimated 5.84 million travelers are expected to fly during this period.

Atlanta’s airport, which saw more than 100 million passengers in 2024, anticipated nearly 400,000 travelers on Friday alone and over 4 million throughout the holiday period — putting additional strain on already disrupted flight schedules.

Travelers are urged to check their flight status regularly and prepare for possible delays or cancellations as airlines work to recover from the storm’s impact.