Hartsfield–Jackson held its ranking as the world's busiest airport in 2009, both in terms of passengers and number of flights, by accommodating 88 million passengers (240,000 passengers daily) and 970,235 flights. Many of the nearly one million flights are domestic flights from within the United States where Atlanta serves as a major hub for travel throughout the Southeastern United States.
Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport has international service to North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. As an international gateway to the United States, Hartsfield–Jackson ranks seventh.
The airport is located mostly in unincorporated areas in Fulton and Clayton counties; the city limits of Atlanta, College Park, and Hapeville extend to the airport grounds. The airport is served by MARTA's Red/Gold rail line.
History
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's Air Traffic Control Tower
Hartsfield–Jackson had its beginnings with a five-year, rent-free lease on 287 acres (116 ha) that was the home of an abandoned auto racetrack. The lease was signed on April 16, 1925, by Mayor Walter Sims, who committed the city to develop it into an airfield. As part of the agreement, the property was renamed Candler Field after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler. The first flight into Candler Field was on September 15, 1926, a Florida Airways mail plane flying from Jacksonville, Florida. In May 1928, Pitcairn Aviation began service to Atlanta, followed in June 1930 by Delta Air Service. Later these two airlines, known as Eastern Air Lines and Delta Air Lines, respectively, would both use Atlanta as their chief hubs.
It was a busy airport from its inception and by the end of 1930 it placed third behind New York City and Chicago for regular daily flights with sixteen arriving and departing. Candler Field's first control tower was opened March 1939.
For the military use of the airport during World War II, see Atlanta Army Airfield
In October 1940, the U.S. government declared it a military airfield and the United States Army Air Force operated Atlanta Army Airfield jointly with Candler Field. The Air Force used the airport primarily for the servicing of transient aircraft, with many different types of combat aircraft being maintained at the airport. During World War II, the airport doubled in size and set a record of 1,700 takeoffs and landings in a single day, making it the nation's busiest airport in terms of flight operation. Atlanta Army Airfield closed after war's end.
In 1946, Candler Field was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport and by 1948, more than one million passengers passed through a war surplus hangar that served as a terminal building. On June 1, 1956, an Eastern Airlines flight to Montreal, Canada was the first international flight out of Atlanta. In 1957, Atlanta saw its first jet airliner: a prototype Sud Aviation Caravelle that was touring the country arrived from Washington D.C. That same year, work on a new terminal began to help alleviate congestion. Atlanta was the busiest airport in the country with more than two million passengers passing through that year and, between noon and 2 p.m. each day, it became the busiest airport in the world.
On May 3, 1961, a new $21 million terminal opened. It was the largest in the country and was able to accommodate over six million travelers a year. The new airport was stretched past its capacity the very first year when nine and half million people passed through. In 1967, the city of Atlanta and the airlines began to work on a master plan for future development of Atlanta Municipal Airport.
Construction began on the present midfield terminal in January 1977 under the administration of Mayor Maynard Jackson. It was the largest construction project in the South, costing $500 million. Named for former Atlanta mayor William Berry Hartsfield, who did much to promote air travel, William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport opened on September 21, 1980, on-time and under budget. It was designed to accommodate up to 55 million passengers per year and covered 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m²). In December 1984 a 9,000-foot (2,700 m) fourth parallel runway was completed, and another runway was extended to 11,889 feet (3,624 m) the following year.
In May 2001, construction of a 9,000-foot (2,700 m) fifth runway (10-28) began. It was completed at a cost of $1.28 billion and opened on May 27, 2006, and was the first runway added since 1984. It bridges Interstate 285 (the Perimeter) on the south side of the airport. Currently the only airport in the nation to have a runway above an interstate. The massive project, which involved putting fill dirt eleven-stories high in some places, destroyed some surrounding neighborhoods, and dramatically changed the scenery of two cemeteries on the property, Flat Rock Cemetery and Hart Cemetery. It was added to help ease some of the traffic problems caused by landing small- and mid-size aircraft on the longer runways which are also used by larger planes such as the Boeing 777, which generally require longer takeoff distances than the smaller planes. With the fifth runway, Hartsfield–Jackson is one of only a few airports that can perform triple simultaneous landings. The fifth runway is expected to increase the capacity for landings and take-offs by 40%, from an average of 184 flights per hour to 237 flights per hour.[
Along with the construction of the fifth runway, a new control tower was built to see the entire length of the runway. The new control tower is the tallest airport control tower in the United States, with a height of over 398 feet (121 m). The old control tower, 585 feet (178 m) away from the new control tower, was demolished August 5, 2006.
Atlanta's city council voted on October 20, 2003 to change the name from Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport to the current Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in honor of former mayor Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of Atlanta, who died on June 23, 2003. The council initially planned on renaming the airport solely for Mayor Jackson, but public outcry, especially by Mayor Hartsfield's descendants, prompted the compromise.
In April 2007, an "end-around taxiway" opened, called Taxiway Victor. It is expected to save an estimated $26 million to $30 million in fuel by allowing airplanes landing on the northernmost runway to taxi to the gate area without preventing other aircraft from taking off. The taxiway drops approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) from the runway elevation to allow takeoffs to continue.
As a result of the Southeastern U.S. drought of 2007, the airport (the eighth-largest water user in the state) has made changes to reduce water usage. This includes adjusting toilets, of which there are 725 commodes and 338 urinals, in addition to 601 sinks. (The two terminals alone use 917,000 gallons or about 3.5 million liters each day in average.) It also suspended the practice of using firetrucks to spray water over aircraft when the pilot made a last landing before retirement (a water salute). The city of Macon offered to sell water to the airport, through a proposed pipeline.
The airport today employs approximately 55,300 airline, ground transportation, concessionaire, security, federal government, City of Atlanta and Airport tenant employees and is considered the largest employment center in the State of Georgia. With a payroll of $2.4 billion, the airport has a direct and indirect economic impact of $3.2 billion on the local and regional economy and a total annual, regional economic impact of more than $19.8 billion.
Expansion
Sign installation visible from departing flights, emphasizing the presence of Delta Air Lines.
A view of the International Concourse E and Control Tower at night
In 1999, Hartsfield–Jackson's leadership established the Development Program: "Focus On the Future" involving multiple construction projects with the intention of preparing the airport to handle a projected demand of 121 million passengers in 2015. The program was originally budgeted at $5.4 billion over a ten-year period, but due to project delays and increased construction costs, the total is now projected at over $9 billion.
Hartsfield–Jackson Rental Car Center
Main article: ATL Skytrain
The Hartsfield–Jackson Rental Car Center, which opened on December 8, 2009, houses all ten current airport rental agencies with capacity for additional companies. The complex features 9,900 parking spaces split up between two four-story parking decks that together cover 2,800,000 square feet (260,000 m2), a 137,000-square-foot (12,700 m2) customer service center, and a maintenance center for vehicles, which features 140 gas pumps,and 30 bays for washing with each one equipped with a water recovery system. The automated people mover, nicknamed the ATL Skytrain, (using Mitsubishi Crystal Mover equipment) connects the facility to the airport and to the Gateway Center of the Georgia International Convention Center and the Hartsfield–Jackson Rental Car Center. A four-lane roadway was built across Interstate 85 to connect the Hartsfield–Jackson Rental Car Center to the existing airport road network.
Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. International Terminal
New terminal exterior rendering
In July 2003, then-Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin announced a new terminal to be named for Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr.. The new international terminal would be built on the east side of the airport near International Concourse E, on a site that had been occupied by air cargo facilities and the midfield control tower. It would add twelve new gates able to hold wide-body jets, which can be converted to sixteen narrow-body gates, as well as new check-in desks and a baggage claim area solely for international carriers. Additionally, the international terminal would have its own parking lot just for international passengers with over 1,100 spaces. Arriving international passengers whose final destination is Atlanta would be able to keep possession of their luggage as they proceed to exit the airport. Currently, such passengers must "recheck" their luggage and clear security at Concourse E. Then, enter the underground Transportation Mall to reach the main terminal where they must "reclaim" their luggage. The new terminal will be connected to Terminal E by the people mover tram and will also have ground transportation access via I-75.
The new terminal was slated to open in 2006; however, time and cost overruns led Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta to cancel the design contract in August 2005. The next day, the architect sued the airport claiming "fraud" and "bad faith", blaming the airport authority for the problems. In early 2007, the General Manager awarded a new design contract on the new international terminal to Atlanta Gateway Designers (AGD). Estimates place the terminal's cost at $1.4 billion, and it is expected to open in April 2012.
Also scheduled to be completed after the new international terminal and concourse is a new terminal south of the current terminals. The project is currently known as the South Gate Complex, and is expected to include up to 70 gates at an estimated cost of approximately $1.8 billion. The new terminal will be connected to the main terminal by an expanded automated people mover system. When the South Gate Complex is completed, it is expected that most domestic carriers other than Delta will move to the SGC. This would leave Delta as the sole domestic carrier at the current terminal, which it will share with its SkyTeam partners. Since the SGC is not planned to have Customs and Border Protection facilities, international arrivals other than pre-cleared flights will also continue to use the current terminal (specifically British Airways and Lufthansa).
Layout
The Transportation Mall. The portion between Concourse T and Concourse A also includes African-themed artwork and photographs
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has terminal and concourse space totaling 5,800,000-square-foot (539,000 m2). The airport has two terminals where passengers check-in and claim bags, the North Terminal and the South Terminal. The two terminals are part of a larger building. The portions of the building between the two terminals include the Atrium, which is a large, open seating area featuring concessionaires, a bank, conference rooms, an interfaith chapel, and offices on the upper floors with the main security checkpoint, the Ground Transportation Center and a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train station on other levels.
Six parallel concourse buildings are used for passenger boarding. The first concourse is connected to the main terminal, and is known as Concourse T (for Terminal). The remaining five concourses are designated successively by distance from the terminal as Concourses A, B, C, D, and E. Concourse E replaced Concourse T as the international terminal when it opened in 1994 in time for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, which were held in Atlanta . International passengers who arrive in Atlanta are subjected to a security re-check after clearing customs due to the fact that the facility exits into the concourse instead of the main terminal lobby. The concourses are connected by an underground Transportation Mall, which begins at the main terminal and passes under the center of each concourse. At one time, there was a second underground walkway between Concourses B and C which connected the north end of the two concourses and made it possible to transfer without returning to the center of the concourse. This was constructed for Eastern Airlines, who occupied these two terminals. This is now closed and the entrance at Terminal B has been replaced by a bank of arrival/departure monitors.
A concourse entrance to the underground people mover.
The Automated People Mover
Main article: The Plane Train
In addition to a pedestrian walkway, which includes a series of moving walkways, connecting the concourses, the Transportation Mall also features an automated people mover. The Automated People Mover has a station at the east end of the main terminal for passengers who have cleared security screening and are entering the Transportation Mall. This station also serves as the station for Concourse T. Other stations are located at each of the five concourses. A seventh station is located in the Baggage Claim area, directly under the Main Terminal. Only hand luggage may be carried on the people mover which is the world's busiest automated system, with over 64 million riders in 2002.
On August 10, 2010, the automated people mover was named "The Plane Train."
MARTA Station
Main article: Airport (MARTA station)
Hartsfield–Jackson also has its own train station on the city's rapid transit system, MARTA. The above-ground station is inside in the main building, between the north and south terminals on the west end. The Airport train station is currently the southernmost station in the MARTA system.
Terminals, airlines, and destinations
The six concourses and their gates are:
Concourse T – 15 gates (T1–T15)
Concourse A – 34 gates (A1–A34)
Concourse B – 34 gates (B1–B35)
Concourse C – 37 gates (C1–C22, C30–C57)
Concourse D – 33 gates (D1, D1A–D8, D8A–D11, D11A–D16, D21–D46)
Concourse E – 33 gates (E1–E12, E14–E17, E26–E37)
Note: All international arrivals (except flights with customs pre-clearance) are handled at Concourse E.
Airlines Destinations Concourse
Air Canada Jazz Toronto-Pearson D
Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle E
AirTran Airways Akron/Canton, Aruba, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Bloomington/Normal, Boston, Branson, Buffalo, Cancún, Charlotte, Chicago-Midway, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Flint, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Gulfport/Biloxi, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Nassau, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Newport News, Orlando, Pensacola, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Punta Cana [begins February 16], Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), St. Louis, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Juan, Sarasota/Bradenton, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tunica, Washington-Dulles, Washington-National, West Palm Beach, White Plains, Wichita
Seasonal: Allentown/Bethlehem, Bermuda [begins May 26], Harrisburg, Portland (ME) C, D
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma D
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami T
American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare, Miami, New York-LaGuardia T
British Airways London-Heathrow E
Continental Airlines Houston-Intercontinental, Newark D
Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental D
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark D
Delta Air Lines Akron-Canton [begins April 1], Albany (NY), Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Bermuda, Birmingham (AL), Boston, Buffalo, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chicago-Midway, Chicago-O'Hare, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia (SC), Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Daytona Beach, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Flint, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Freeport, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Gulfport/Biloxi, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston-Hobby, Houston-Intercontinental, Huntsville/Decatur, Indianapolis, Jackson (MS), Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Key West, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Melbourne (FL), Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Nassau, New Orleans, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Newport News, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ontario, Orange County, Orlando, Panama City (FL), Pensacola, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sacramento, St. Croix, St. Louis, St. Thomas, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah, Seattle/Tacoma, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington-Dulles, Washington-National, West Palm Beach
Seasonal: Allentown/Bethlehem, Anchorage, Bozeman, Eagle/Vail, Harrisburg, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, Montrose/Telluride, Oakland, Syracuse T, A, B, D, E
Delta Air Lines Abuja, Accra, Amsterdam, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Barcelona, Belize City, Bonaire, Bogotá, Brasilia, Brussels, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cancún, Caracas, Cozumel, Dakar [resumes January 20], Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Grand Cayman, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Johannesburg, Lagos, Liberia (Costa Rica), Lima, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Luanda [begins January 20], Madrid, Managua, Manaus, Manchester (UK), Manila, Mexico City, Milan-Malpensa, Monrovia, Montego Bay, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Munich, Panama City, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Providenciales, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Quito, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Roatán, Rome-Fiumicino, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, San José de Costa Rica, San José del Cabo, San Salvador, Santiago de Chile, Santo Domingo, São Paulo-Guarulhos, San Pedro Sula, Shanghai-Pudong [resumes June 5], Stuttgart, Tegucigalpa, Tel Aviv, Tokyo-Narita, Zürich
Seasonal: Athens, Copenhagen, Guayaquil, Kingston, Prague, Puerto Plata, St. Kitts, Venice-Marco Polo T*, E
*Departing flights only
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Akron/Canton, Albany (GA), Albany (NY), Alexandria, Appleton, Asheville, Augusta (GA), Austin, Baton Rouge, Birmingham (AL), Bloomington/Normal, Blountville/Tri-Cities, Brunswick, Charleston (SC), Charleston (WV), Charlotte, Charlottesville, Chattanooga, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbia (SC), Columbus (GA), Columbus (MS), Dayton, Des Moines, Dothan, Evansville, Fayetteville (AR), Fayetteville (NC), Flint, Fort Wayne, Fort Walton Beach, Gainesville, George Town/Great Exuma Island, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Gulfport/Biloxi, Houston-Hobby, Houston-Intercontinental, Huntsville/Decatur, Jackson (MS), Jacksonville (NC), Killeen, Key West, Knoxville, Lafayette, Lewisburg (WV), Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Lynchburg, Madison, Melbourne (FL), Meridian, Milwaukee, Mobile, Moline/Quad Cities, Monroe, Montgomery, Montréal-Trudeau, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, New Bern, Newburgh, Newport News, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Panama City (FL), Pensacola, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Savannah, Shreveport, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield (MO), Syracuse, Tallahassee, Toronto-Pearson, Tri-Cities (TN/VA), Tulsa, Valdosta, White Plains, Wichita, Wilmington (NC)
Seasonal: Allentown/Bethlehem, Chicago-Midway, Daytona Beach, Halifax, Harrisburg, Providence C, D
Delta Connection operated by Comair Asheville, Birmingham (AL), Charleston (SC), Chattanooga, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Chicago-O'Hare, Columbus (OH), Flint, Fort Walton Beach, Freeport, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Huntsville/Decatur, Houston-Hobby, Knoxville, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Panama City (FL), Providence, Springfield (MO), Syracuse, Tulsa D
Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines Albany (NY), Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental, Louisville, Savannah A
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines Austin, Chattanooga, Columbus (MS), Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Omaha, Providence, San Antonio, Tupelo D
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Austin, Birmingham (AL), Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Chicago-Midway, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Greenville/Spartanburg, Houston-Hobby, Houston-Intercontinental, Huntsville/Decatur, Kansas City, Knoxville, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Panama City (FL), Portland (ME), Providence, Richmond, St. Croix, St. Louis, San Antonio, Savannah, Tallahassee, Washington-Dulles, Washington-National, White Plains, Wichita B
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Monterrey
Seasonal: Belize City, Cozumel, Guadalajara, Providenciales E
Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America Charlotte, Chicago-Midway, Chicago-O'Hare, Charleston (SC), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus (OH), Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Norfolk, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Antonio, Sarasota/Bradenton, Washington-National A
Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, St. Louis
Seasonal: Montrose/Telluride B
Frontier Airlines Denver D
Frontier Airlines operated by Republic Airlines Denver D
GeorgiaSkies Athens (GA), Macon E
KLM Amsterdam E
Korean Air Seoul-Incheon E
Lufthansa Frankfurt E
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach D
United Airlines Chicago-O'Hare T
United Express operated by Mesa Airlines Washington-Dulles T
United Express operated by Shuttle America Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Washington-Dulles T
United Express operated by Shuttle America Newark D
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Washington-Dulles T
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Houston-Intercontinental D
US Airways Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix D
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin Philadelphia D
US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines Charlotte D
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines Charlotte D
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines Charlotte, Philadelphia D
Vision Airlines Louisville D
Statistics
Top Ten Busiest Domestic Routes Out of Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
(October 2009-September 2010)
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Orlando, FL 1,291,000 AirTran, Delta
2 Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,134,000 AirTran, Delta, Spirit
3 New York, NY (LaGuardia) 1,085,000 AirTran, American Eagle, Delta
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX 1,024,000 AirTran, American, Delta
5 Tampa, FL 925,000 AirTran, Delta
6 Los Angeles, CA 911,000 AirTran, Delta
7 Washington, DC (Reagan National) 810,000 AirTran, Delta
8 Philadelphia, PA 764,000 AirTran, Delta, US Airways
9 Miami, FL 756,000 American, American Eagle, Delta
10 Denver, CO 742,000 AirTran, Delta, Frontier, United
Cargo airlines
Air France Cargo
Alitalia
Asiana Cargo
Atlas Air
British Airways World Cargo
Cathay Pacific Cargo
China Airlines
Cargolux
EVA Air
FedEx Express
Korean Air Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo
MasAir
Polar Air Cargo
Singapore Airlines Cargo
UPS Airlines
Notable events
Crashes en route
April 4, 1977 Southern Airways Flight 242 (Huntsville to Atlanta, crashed en route in New Hope, Georgia)
September 6, 1985 Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 (Milwaukee to Atlanta, crashed on takeoff at the airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
August 21, 1995 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, crashed near Carrollton, Georgia while on a flight from the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport, Mississippi.
May 11, 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 (Miami to Atlanta, crashed en route from Miami International Airport in the Florida Everglades)
August 27, 2006 Comair Flight 191 operating as Delta Connection Flight 5191 (Lexington to Atlanta, crashed on takeoff at the Blue Grass Airport) 49 fatalities were reported.
Ground facility events
Public safety
On November 16, 2001, a man left the secure area to retrieve his camera bag, which he had left behind, and then tried to bypass the wait at the security checkpoint by running the wrong way down the escalators at the secure area's exit. As a result, the entire airport was evacuated, including all aircraft, and operations halted for three hours.
The man said that he tried to bypass the security line because he would be late for a flight he was taking to see a Georgia Bulldogs football game. As part of his sentence, he was not allowed to attend any Bulldogs games for the 2002 season.
From December 2006 to March 2007, there were 30 arrests for indecent exposure involving reported sex acts in airport restrooms. Several prominent persons were arrested, including an advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Spelman College professor, and the Chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority board of directors.
Lightning strike
In 2009, a severe thunderstorm on the evening of April 23 caused a lightning strike directly to the control tower at 8:45 (20:45) EDT. The airport was already in a ground stop due to dangerous wind shear, and four minutes after the strike, the tower was evacuated after a smoke odor was detected. After returning at 9:10, a power outage at 9:20 caused further problems, including major flight delays and diversions due also to the lightning (at over 1000 strikes per hour) and large amounts of hail that continued in the vicinity. Partial power outages continued to affect the airport and the northern runway lighting for more than an hour afterward, leaving only three other runways to handle the backlog. An FAA official said that neither the new nor the old tower had been struck in at least 18 years. Several storm chasers 4–5 miles east of the airport reported a wall cloud and descending funnel during the severe thunderstorm.
In culture
Best Buy Express vending machine in a terminal
As the dominant airport in the Southern United States, and the nation's busiest in terms of passengers handled (mainly due to being Delta's flagship hub), there is an old joke in the South which states that, upon one's death, regardless of whether he or she goes to Heaven or Hell he or she will connect in Atlanta to get there.
Other notes
Air traffic controllers for tower and ground control operations refer to the letter "D" using the word "Dixie" instead of the ICAO phonetic term "Delta" to avoid confusion with Delta Air Lines aircraft (note the use of "DIXIE" for taxiway "D" in the FAA's airport diagram, listed in the external links below).
The People Mover's recorded announcements list "Concourse D as in David," rather than "Delta" or "Dixie."
(source:wikipedia)
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