Operations at Delta’s largest hub in Atlanta are returning to normal Thursday as weather continues to improve systemwide following the impact from a winter storm Tuesday night and Wednesday, which disrupted flights along the east coast.
Delta teams at the Atlanta airport worked around the clock to clear aircraft of snow and ice and get customers to their destinations as safely and expeditiously as possible following the storm. The airline canceled 130 mainline and Delta Connection regional flights Thursday morning but does not expect that number to grow as operations stabilize and recovery efforts continue.
A normal schedule is expected for Thursday afternoon and no cancellations are anticipated Friday.
Customers flying Thursday are advised to check the status of their Delta flight at Delta.com or via the Fly Delta Mobile App. Those flying from Atlanta should also plan to arrive early as security wait times may be lengthy at times.
6 p.m., Jan. 17
Delta’s operations in Atlanta continued to stabilize Wednesday after a winter storm that affected airports along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast. The airline has made further schedule adjustments as a result of the East Coast storm, cancelling approximately 900 mainline and Delta Connection regional flights across its system Tuesday and Wednesday.
Delta expects its operation to recover Thursday, though some residual flight cancellations in the morning are possible. Improving weather across the country Thursday will aid the operational rebound. Delta’s Peach Corps of administrative employee-volunteers has been called to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to assist with operational needs and help customers through the airport.
Customers are encouraged to check the status of their flight via Delta.com or the Fly Delta Mobile App and a winter weather waiver is in effect for customers flying to, through or from affected airports. Customers are encouraged to arrive at the airport early as extended security wait times can be anticipated due to limited TSA staffing. For updated security wait times, visit the ATL Airport website.
3 p.m., Jan. 17:
Delta employees at airports throughout the Southeastern U.S. and along the Gulf Coast are digging out after a winter storm brought snow and ice to several airports throughout the region. The airline has cancelled an additional 200 mainline and Delta Connection regional flights as a result of accumulation and strong winds. Tuesday the airline had originally cancelled 400 flights.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport — where Delta maintains its largest hub and where temperatures are expected to remain below freezing all day Wednesday — saw more than 1.5 inches of snow on the ground, prompting extensive aircraft de-icing and the closure of some of the airport’s five runways early Wednesday morning.
The Atlanta airport is reporting wait times of more than ftwo hours at the Domestic Terminal Main Security Checkpoint as a result of limited TSA staffing due to the weather. The North and South Security Checkpoints are closed. Customers traveling Wednesday and Thursday are encouraged to arrive three hours prior to their scheduled departure to allow sufficient time to clear security. Shorter wait times may be found at the International Terminal. For updated security wait times, visit the ATL Airport website.
To help speed the operational recovery, Delta called in members of its Deicing Go Team — a cadre of seasoned de-icers from the airline's Minneapolis hub — who will work in Atlanta throughout the day to clear aircraft of snow and ice.
Delta’s operational leaders are setting their sights on the Northeast and New England, where snow began to fall Wednesday morning. A limited number of flights at New York’s LaGuardia and Boston Logan International have been cancelled as a result, though Delta does not expect a significant disruption at those or other Northeastern airports.
Photo caption: De-icing at the Atlanta airport on Wednesday.
5:30 p.m., Jan. 16:
Delta’s operational teams are keeping a watchful eye on a winter storm expected to bring mixed frozen precipitation or snow to many airports from Texas and the Southeast to the mid-Atlantic and New England.
The cold front is expected to bring light snow to Atlanta, where Delta has its largest hub, beginning around 7 p.m. ET Tuesday evening.
As a result of anticipated snow and ice in parts of the Southeast, Delta has proactively cancelled approximately 275 mainline and Delta Connection regional flights for Tuesday. Additional cancellations are expected Wednesday in the New York and Boston areas as the storm continues to track up the east coast.
As always, customers are encouraged to check the status of their flight via Delta.com or the Fly Delta Mobile App. A southeast winter weather waiver is in place for customers who have flexibility in their travel plans to reschedule around the storm. Similar waivers are in place for customers traveling to, through or from airports in East Texas and the Northeast.
12:40 p.m., Jan. 16:
Delta’s operational teams are keeping a watchful eye on a winter storm expected to bring mixed frozen precipitation to many airports throughout east Texas and the Southeast and snow from the mid-Atlantic up through the Northeast and New England Tuesday.
The cold front is also expected to bring light snow to Atlanta, where Delta has its largest hub, beginning around 7 p.m. ET Tuesday evening.
Delta has begun proactively cancelling flights at airports in Texas and elsewhere in the Southeast. Further flight cancellations and delays as a result of the storm are expected. As always, customers are encouraged to check the status of their flight via Delta.com or the Fly Delta Mobile App. A southeast winter weather waiver is in place for customers who have flexibility in their travel plans to reschedule around the storm. Similar waivers are in place for customers traveling to, through or from airports in East Texas and the Northeast.
