Atlanta’s airport goes dark
An emergency dire enough to warrant Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday
Joeff Davis/CL file
For about eight hours yesterday, the world’s busiest airport went without power.
Possibly due to a fire at an underground electrical station, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had to halt all operations, grounding flights and leaving some passengers in its concourses in total darkness. Others were stuck inside planes, sitting on the tarmac.
The power outage began around 1 p.m. and, because backup electrical sources were believed damaged in the fire, it took until around midnight to get the lights back on in all terminals.
Delta Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, said Sunday that it planned to cancel some 300 flights today, according to the New York Times. Plus, planes coming to Hartsfield-Jackson from other airports had to be diverted, putting tons of travel plans on hold.
When toilets and water fountains became inoperable due to the outage, airport employees passed out water bottles, The Times reported. And even Chick-Fil-A came out of its typical Sunday slumber to help feed some hungry travelers, according to CBS News.