Ground stop lifted at Atlanta airport, but flight delays reach nearly 2 hours
The ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been canceled, but travelers are still facing significant delays as thunderstorms disrupt flights Friday evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration replaced the ground stop with a ground delay scheduled to remain in effect from 6 p.m. until 9:59 p.m., according to an FAA alert.
Flights headed to Atlanta under the program were delayed an average of 107 minutes, with the longest delay reaching 271 minutes. Flights leaving Hartsfield-Jackson were delayed an average of 75 minutes, and the FAA said that number was increasing.
The delay program covers flights departing from airports within 1,000 nautical miles of Atlanta. Affected flights receive revised departure times to control the number of planes arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson.
The update follows several ground stops issued Friday as thunderstorms moved across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. The first began at 12:08 p.m., with additional restrictions issued throughout the afternoon.
The CBS News Atlanta NEXT Weather team is tracking heavy rain and thunderstorms across the region. Downpours could also cause localized flooding.
