NICK BROWN

By Zoe Sottile and Isabel Rosales, CNN

(CNN) — Hundreds of flights have been canceled at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-JacksonInternational Airport – the busiest airport in the world – after a severe storm overnight, just as a busy travel period ahead of the Fourth of July gets started.

More than 450 flights into and out of Atlanta were canceled as of early Saturday afternoon, according to FlightAware. Hundreds more were delayed.

Delta – which uses the Atlanta airport as its hub – is suffering the most from cancellations, with 14% of the airline’s total flights canceled, according to FlightAware. The airline is “working to safely restore operations and assist customers impacted by the severe storms at our Atlanta hub Friday night,” according to a statement sent to CNN Saturday.

Several hundred more cancellations are expected over the weekend, Delta said in the statement.

“Severe weather overnight is causing delays and cancellations,” the airport said Saturday in a post on X,

Powerful winds in Atlanta prompted the evacuation of most air traffic controllers from the control tower Friday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A small crew stayed to handle inbound planes, the FAA told CNN.

Additionally, severe thunderstorms overnight brought quarter-inch hail to the city. More than 100 Delta aircraft required inspection before they were allowed to fly as a result, according to Delta’s statement.

The inspections were completed Saturday morning, the airline said. They added they expect “continued disruption this weekend as we recover safely and as quickly as possible.”

There was also a ground stop in place Friday evening due to the severe weather, which limits aircraft from taking off. An airport spokesperson told CNN the hour-long ground stop had “no impact on operations.”

The mounting delays come as millions of people prepare to travel for the Fourth of July. The AAA estimates 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more from home during the holiday period, starting from Saturday,June 28, until Sunday, July 6, with 5.84 million travelers expected to fly to their destinations.

The Atlanta airport expected nearly 400,000 passengers on Friday alone, and more than 4 million passengers over the holiday period.

The Hartsfield-Jackson airport served more than 100 million passengers in 2024, making it busier than London’s Heathrow or the Dubai International Airport.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
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