Flight delays in Atlanta because of severe weather could have ripple effect across US after FAA outage
Because of the nation's geography, major cities such as Boston, New York and Miami can have a beautiful sunny day, yet storms hundreds of miles away, like in Atlanta, can block air routes, keeping planes trapped as if they were on an island.
Aviation Expert: 'This is the first time that I'm aware of this system failing'
JP Dice, Aviation Expert and Meteorologist says this is the first time he's aware of the NOTAM system failing, which caused the nationwide ground stop on Wednesday.
ATLANTA – Severe weather could delay and cancel more flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the world's busiest airport, on Thursday as airlines continue to recover from a crippling outage at the Federal Aviation Administration that affected more than 10,500 flights on Wednesday.
And those delays could have a ripple effect across the country.
FAA GROUND STOP, SEVERE WEATHER THREAT MAY HAVE LASTING RIPPLE EFFECT ON FLIGHTS ACROSS THE US
Travelers look at a flight information board at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 11, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. The FAA said it is gradually resuming flights around the country after an outage to the Notice to Air Mission System, a computer system that helps guide air traffic.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
Early Wednesday morning, the FAA said there was an outage with the NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which is an important notice that contains essential information to personnel connected to flight operations.
When that critical system went down, the FAA issued its first nationwide ground stop for all departing flights since the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
More than 10,500 flights were affected by the nationwide ground stop on Wednesday.
(FOX Weather)
Air travel spun into chaos Wednesday morning when the ground stop was initiated, and while the issue was resolved and the NOTAM system was back online by 9 a.m. EST, the damage already had been done.
Thousands of flights had been delayed, and that had a ripple effect throughout the day as more than 10,500 flights were impacted.
And those delays will likely continue into Thursday as severe thunderstorms move through the Southeast, including the Atlanta metro.
Southeast, including Atlanta metro, faces severe weather threat Thursday
(FOX Weather)
Initial rounds of severe thunderstorms moved through portions of Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama on Thursday morning. That threat has continued to slide to the east, with Severe Thunderstorm warnings and Tornado warnings also issued in portions of Georgia and Tennessee.
But according to the FOX Forecast Center, Thursday afternoon and evening will have the greatest risk of severe weather as a cold front sweeps eastward across the Southeast.
Central and eastern Alabama and central and northern Georgia, including the Atlanta metro area, will face the highest threat of severe thunderstorms. However, the risk of severe weather will also extend into other portions of the Southeast and Tennessee Valley.
Several damaging wind gusts are likely, though large hail and a few tornadoes are also possible.
Flight delays could have ripple effect across the US
Travelers wait in the terminal as an Alaska Airlines plane sits at a gate at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2023. The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority ordered a temporary halt to all domestic flight departures Wednesday, after a major system outage that disrupted air traffic across the country. Airlines and airports were left scrambling with news of the nationwide pause, as the White House said there was no immediate evidence of a cyberattack.
(STEFANI REYNOLDS / AFP / Getty Images)
While the severe weather threat is contained to the Southeast, any delays that pop up in Atlanta will likely have a ripple effect across the country.
So, if you're waiting for a flight at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and the skies are clear, there's still a chance the FAA could issue a ground stop for severe weather.
HOW THUNDERSTORMS HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY CAN WREAK HAVOC ON AIR TRAVEL
How thunderstorms hundreds of miles away can wreak havoc with air travel
Because of the nation's geography, major cities such as Boston and Miami can have a beautiful sunny day, yet storms hundreds of miles away can block air routes keeping planes trapped as if they were on an island.
An FAA spokesperson said these types of disturbances in air travel are typical, but with the combination of other factors such as a shortage of airline crews, for example, what once was just a normal weather delay can turn into a domino effect, keeping passengers stuck at airports for hours.
Because of the nation's geography, major cities such as Boston, New York and Miami can have a beautiful sunny day, yet storms hundreds of miles away, like in Atlanta, can block air routes, keeping planes trapped as if they were on an island.
(FOX Weather)
"We do not put planes through thunderstorms for safety reasons," said Ian Gregor, an FAA public affairs specialist. "The planes have to either fly around them or wait for the weather to clear."
When an airplane is delayed from taking off, it will have a ripple effect on other flights planned for that same aircraft.
So if a flight was going from Atlanta to New York and then from New York to Los Angeles, the flight from New York to Los Angeles would also likely be delayed due to the weather situation in Atlanta.