March 18, 2026

Total number of canceled and delayed flights flying in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport since Monday morning, according to Flight Aware.

Zoom in: Awful weather, a security checkpoint closure and TSA staffing shortages related to the partial government shutdown have slowed the world’s busiest airport to a crawl.

Of note: On Tuesday, airport officials asked travelers who are taking a domestic flight to use the domestic terminals.

  • Word has apparently gotten out about Hartsfield-Jackson’s best kept secret: passing through TSA in the international terminal and riding the Plane Train is a great way to skip gridlock in the domestic terminal.

State of play: Airline CEOs including Delta Air Lines’ Ed Bastain have called on Congress to end the shutdown.

Since Monday morning, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been plagued by numerous flight cancellations and delays due to severe weather, a closed security checkpoint, and TSA staffing shortages linked to the partial government shutdown, grinding operations at the world's busiest airport to a near halt. In response, officials urged domestic travelers on Tuesday to use the domestic terminals, though many have discovered that passing through TSA in the international terminal and using the Plane Train offers a quicker alternative to dodge gridlock. Meanwhile, airline CEOs like Delta’s Ed Bastain are pushing Congress to end the shutdown to restore normalcy.

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