Ground stop at Atlanta airport leaves travelers facing long TSA lines, delays

Severe thunderstorms moving through metro Atlanta forced a temporary ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday morning, delaying thousands of travelers and adding to long security lines inside the world’s busiest airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued the ground stop at 7:19 a.m., halting flights headed to Atlanta as storms passed through the region. The pause is scheduled to last until 11:00 a.m., though officials said there was a medium probability it could be extended depending on weather conditions.

According to the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center, the ground stop affected flights departing from several southeastern air traffic centers, including Miami, Jacksonville, and Atlanta.

The agency reported some flights experiencing waits of more than three hours as thunderstorms disrupted air traffic.

Inside the airport, travelers also faced long security lines, with some passengers reporting waits of around two hours at TSA checkpoints.

Airport officials say the heavy travel volume and severe weather have compounded existing staffing challenges. Union leaders say many TSA workers recently missed their first full paycheck during the federal funding lapse, contributing to ongoing staffing shortages.

Passengers CBS News Atlanta spoke with said the combination of storms, delays, and long lines created a chaotic morning at the airport.