Finally — there is some good news to report: the power is now back on at the international airport which serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area at approximately 11:19 in the evening earlier tonight, Sunday, December 17, 2017:
Power is back ON in Atrium and Concourses T, A and B!
— Atlanta Airport (@ATLairport) December 18, 2017
Breaking News: Power is Back On at Atlanta Airport
The power was originally estimated to return to the airport at approximately midnight — meaning that electricity is now available at the airport once again 41 minutes ahead of schedule.
That news is of little solace to tens of thousands of passengers who have been signficantly inconvenienced by the chain of events which occurred today — but it is still good news just the same.
The following message was written by the former secretary of the Department of Transportation of the United States, who was also caught up in the delays which resulted from the power outage at the airport in Atlanta:
Total and abject failure here at ATL Airport today. I am stuck on @delta flight, passengers and crew tolerating it. But there is no excuse for lack of workable redundant power source. NONE! #atlairport #delta
— Anthony Foxx (@anthonyfoxx) December 17, 2017
One report from a local television station indicates that people broke into stores and restaurants in the airport because they were hungry. I have not yet been able to verify that…
…but according to this article written by Claire Simms of WAGA-TV Fox 5 News in Atlanta, “Airport officials were working with Chick-fil-a to provide food to stranded passengers. Hotels near the airport were fully booked, and MARTA trains into the city were packed Sunday afternoon and evening with travelers in search of places to stay. The city was also working to provide accommodations for travelers at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, near the airport.”
A meltdown occurred at the international airport which serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area at approximately 1:00 in the afternoon earlier today, Sunday, December 17, 2017.
Not only have hundreds of flights been canceled and more have been diverted to airports as far away as Toronto; but flights have already been proactively canceled for tomorrow, Monday, December 18, 2017.
Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations
Hundreds of flights have already been canceled for the day — and more have been proactively canceled for tomorrow — which prompted the issuance of travel waivers by additional airlines.
If you are traveling to or from Atlanta, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to the electrical power outage which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.
If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary.
Here are seven airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this electrical power outage:
- Delta Air Lines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017 through Monday, December 18, 2017; and Thursday, December 21, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- American Airlines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017 through Monday, December 18, 2017; and Thursday, December 21, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- United Airlines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017 through Monday, December 18, 2017; and Thursday, December 21, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Southwest Airlines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017; and Sunday, December 31, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- JetBlue Airways has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017; and Tuesday, December 19, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Frontier Airlines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017 through Monday, December 18, 2017; and Monday, January 1, 2018 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Spirit Airlines has issued a travel alert for Atlanta for Sunday, December 17, 2017 through Monday, December 18, 2017; and Thursday, December 21, 2017 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
Summary
The initial problem may now be resolved; but residual collateral damage remains, as at least 300 flights have been canceled for tomorrow, Monday, December 18, 2017. Thousands of passengers need to be accommodated; and operation of the flight system will need time to return to normal.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
