Owais Crawford
Hurricane Irma hit Georgia in 2017, causing widespread damage and disruption to Atlanta and its airport. As a major hub for Delta Airlines, the airport was forced to close taxiing space and cancel flights, while airlines waived change fees for customers who needed to reschedule their travel. Irma's impact on the airport was significant, with high winds and heavy rainfall causing delays and cancellations. In this case, what can Atlanta Airport do to prepare for and mitigate the impact of a hurricane like Irma?
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What You'll Learn
Flight cancellations and delays
Hurricane Irma had a significant impact on air travel in 2017. As it approached, airlines including Delta, United, American and JetBlue began winding down operations in southern Florida, with carriers adding flights and capping fares to help travellers escape the storm.
By the time Irma reached Atlanta, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm, but it still brought strong winds and heavy rain to the area. Air traffic control stops operating in winds above 55 mph, and Irma's winds were expected to be 73 mph by the time they reached Atlanta International Airport. As a result, Delta Airlines, which operates more than 80% of flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, requested that customers reschedule their travel and announced that change fees would be waived. The airline had already cancelled 130 connection flights scheduled for the Monday afternoon.
Delta also offered a waiver on change fees for flights to, from or through Georgia airports in Atlanta, Albany and Columbus, for tickets dated between September 6 and 17, 2017. The airline also paused pet-in-cabin and baggage fees for those travelling through Irma-hit cities.
Flight cancellations due to Irma were expected to swell if the storm hit Atlanta, the world's busiest airport. More than 12,000 flights were cancelled due to the storm, and the risk of downstream disruptions to other airports was expected to increase as Irma began to affect busy airports on the US mainland.
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Stranded passengers
Hartsfield-Jackson-Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport, with nearly 2,500 planes taking off and landing each day, serving over 104 million travellers annually. As a result, the impact of Hurricane Irma on the airport will have a ripple effect on flights across the US and beyond.
In anticipation of the storm, Delta Airlines, which operates more than 80% of flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, requested that customers reschedule their travel dates and announced that it would waive change fees. The airline had already cancelled 130 connecting flights scheduled for Monday afternoon. Delta also paused pet-in-cabin and baggage fees for those travelling through cities affected by Irma. Other airlines, such as United, American and JetBlue, also wound down operations in southern Florida on Friday afternoon or early evening as Irma approached.
The airport prepared kits with toothbrushes for passengers who might be stranded there and ensured that at least one food and beverage provider would remain open 24 hours a day in each terminal. The airport may also have closed taxiing space to allow airlines to park if they were unable to take off during the storm.
In addition to the direct impact on Atlanta International Airport, Hurricane Irma caused travel disruption to, from and through other Georgia airports, including those in Albany and Columbus.
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Safety risks from construction materials
In 2017, Atlanta Airport was in the midst of an expansion when Hurricane Irma hit. Workers scrambled to secure any construction materials that could pose safety risks in high winds.
Construction materials and debris can be extremely dangerous in hurricanes. Hurricanes can pick up and carry debris, inflicting significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Even if winds are not strong enough to destroy structures, the impact of airborne objects can still cause damage.
To prevent this, building materials such as fortified wall systems and impact-resistant windows should be used. In hurricane-prone areas, special construction techniques, such as reinforcing structures with steel bracings or concrete, must be employed to prevent damage or collapse.
In addition to wind damage, water damage is also a serious concern. High wind speeds during a flood can cause rainwater to enter structures through weak points in foundations, roofs, windows, and doors. Water intrusion can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, and the cleanup process can be elaborate and costly.
Furthermore, in coastal areas, soil conditions are often sandy and loose, which can destabilize foundations and lead to building collapse. Special techniques, such as deeper foundations, pile driving, and anchoring to the ground, should be used to prevent this.
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Rescheduling and change fees
Hurricane Irma had a significant impact on travel plans for those flying to, from, or through Atlanta Airport. As a major hub for Delta Airlines, with the airline operating more than 80% of flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Delta Airlines was forced to cancel 130 connection flights at Atlanta Airport and requested that customers reschedule their travel dates. In light of this, Delta Airlines waived change fees for customers who needed to reschedule their travel plans. This applied to those with confirmed Delta flight tickets dated between September 6 and 17, 2017, for travel to, from, or through Georgia airports Atlanta, Albany, and Columbus. The airline also paused pet-in-cabin and baggage fees for those traveling through Irma-hit cities and cities likely to be affected.
Delta Airlines was not the only airline to be affected by Hurricane Irma. In fact, airlines on four continents canceled around 12,600 flights through Tuesday due to the storm, according to plane tracker Flight Aware. This number was expected to increase as Irma continued to move northward, away from South Florida. American Airlines, which operates a hub out of Miami International Airport, was also impacted, with the airport suffering "significant water damage." Big regional carriers like Chile's Latam, Colombia-based Avianca, and Panamanian carrier Copa also canceled flights to Florida over the weekend, waiving change or cancel fees due to the storm.
While Irma had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached Atlanta, it still brought strong winds and heavy downpours to the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The airport may have closed taxiing space to allow airlines to park if they were unable to take off during the storm.
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Damage to the airport
Hurricane Irma caused damage to Atlanta Airport, as well as to the wider state of Georgia. The airport is the world's busiest for passenger traffic, with nearly 2,500 planes taking off and landing each day. As a result, any disruption can have a significant impact on travel across the United States.
In preparation for Irma, airlines including Delta, United, American and JetBlue wound down operations in southern Florida on Friday afternoon or early evening. Delta Airlines also issued a travel alert for Atlanta International Airport, and waived change fees for customers who needed to reschedule their travel dates. The airline had already cancelled 130 connection flights at Atlanta Airport by Monday afternoon.
As a tropical storm, Irma brought winds of up to 73 miles per hour to Atlanta. This was enough to disrupt air traffic control, which stops operating in winds of 55 miles per hour or more. The storm also caused power outages across the state, with around 1.5 million customers left without power. This took several days to restore.
The exact damage caused to Atlanta Airport by Irma is unclear, but the airport's operations were certainly disrupted. Irma caused the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights across the United States, and this number would likely have swelled if the storm had hit Atlanta Airport more directly.
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Frequently asked questions
Hurricane Irma caused disruption to services at Atlanta Airport, with Delta Airlines cancelling 130 connecting flights and waiving change fees for rescheduled flights. The airport also had to close taxiing space to allow airlines to park if they were unable to take off during the storm.
There is no specific information on damage to the Atlanta airport, but Irma caused widespread damage in Georgia, including downed trees and power outages.
Yes, Delta Airlines issued a travel alert for Atlanta International Airport.
Yes, Delta Airlines cancelled 130 connecting flights at the Atlanta Airport.
The airport prepared kits with essential items like toothbrushes for stranded passengers and ensured that at least one food and beverage provider remained open 24 hours in each terminal. The airport also closed taxiing space to allow airlines to park if they couldn't take off.
