Atlanta flights delayed amid nationwide FAA ground stop
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Travelers stop to look at a Delta Airlines plane parked at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 28, 2024 in Atlanta. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and around the globe were canceled or delayed on Friday, July 19, due to a major technology outage affecting Microsoft systems.
The big picture: There were reports of massive online outages disrupting travel, banking and news outlets worldwide on Friday, as CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company that services multiple industries, went down worldwide.
- CrowdStrike said a faulty software update — not a malicious cyberattack or a nation-state attack — was behind the outages, Axios' Sam Sabin reports.
State of play: American, Delta, United and Allegiant Airlines grounded flights early Friday morning due to communications issues, per an FAA alert.
- By the afternoon, the FAA said airlines were working toward resuming normal operations, but that ground stops and delays would continue intermittently at some airports.
- The agency also said the issue could continue to affect flights this weekend.
Zoom in: Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson were experiencing an average delay of 174 minutes on Friday afternoon, according to a tracking system on the FAA's website.
- Delta Air Lines said mid-morning it had resumed some of its flights but anticipated additional delays and cancellations throughout the day.
- As of Friday afternoon, there had been 847 delayed flights at ATL and 598 cancellations, per Flight Aware.
- It issued a travel waiver to all customers with flights departing Friday and said fare differences would be waived for passengers rebooking on or before July 24.
Zoom out: MARTA announced at 8:44am via X that its main website, as well as its websites for its smart card and real-time service information, were unavailable, but its bus, rail, and streetcar services are still operating.
- The Georgia Department of Human Services also announced that the outage was affecting its systems.
- The Georgia Department of Driver Services also announced its services were unavailable.
- Fulton County the city of Roswell both reported issues in the morning, but by the afternoon said their systems were mostly restored.
What they're saying: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said via X that "despite global Microsoft outages, City systems and operations remain mostly unaffected."
- "While some airlines experienced issues, flights are resuming. Thank you for your patience. We're in contact with impacted hospitals and ready to support," Dickens said.
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.