Thunderstorms Trigger Ground Stops at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delays Reach Up to 70 Minutes
Why It MattersSevere weather events like this underscore how thunderstorm activity at major hub airports can ripple across multiple air traffic control centers and disrupt regional flight scheduling.
Thunderstorms moving through the Atlanta area prompted the FAA to issue multiple ground stops at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, September 11, 2026, with flight delays reaching as long as 70 minutes.
The FAA revised an earlier ground stop to cover selected departing flights scheduled between 3:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. EDT. An earlier revision had covered departures between 3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., citing an average delay of 36 minutes and a maximum delay of 70 minutes during that window. The later revision extended the coverage window while noting an average delay of 45 minutes, and the FAA placed the probability of extending the order at 30% to 60%.
The ground stops followed earlier holds that began at 12:08 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The expanded order covered selected departures handled by 10 FAA control centers, including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Memphis, Miami, New York, and Washington. A ground stop requires affected aircraft to remain at their departure airports until conditions improve or air traffic officials authorize departure, and the FAA warned that thunderstorms could continue affecting routes and airport operations through the evening, with heavy rain and thunderstorms also expected to cause localized flooding across metro Atlanta and North Georgia.
