Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL) is located in the Atlanta, Georgia, USA metropolitan area, and is the busiest airport in the world both in terms of number of passengers as well as the number of takeoffs and landings, surpassing Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. It accommodated 980,197 takeoffs and landings in 2005, and handled 88.4 million passengers according to projections. Many of these flights are domestic flights from within the United States where Atlanta serves as a major transfer point for flights to and from smaller East Coast cities. As such, it has been the subject of an old joke that states that it doesn't matter where one will go in the afterlife, they will transfer through Atlanta to get there. As an international gateway to the United States Hartsfield-Jackson ranks seventh; JFK International in New York City is first.[1]
Also the hub of Delta Airlines and Air Tran....

The airport is located partly within the southern city limits of Atlanta and is adjacent to the city of College Park, Georgia, which is south of the city limits of Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways. The airport is located within Fulton and Clayton Counties.

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Nice pics! Any chance of a pic showing the new runway crossing over I-285? I’ve always liked pictures from California of runways or taxiways over highways and I think it’s too cool that Atlanta is getting one.

No offense to anyone in Atlanta...I really like Atlanta, but, Hartsfield is, by far, the worst airport in the United States. Service there is horrible, flights are delayed, the airport is unattractive, dirty, overcrowded, and inefficient. I pay extra money, frequently, to avoid setting foot in that huge pit.

I'm suprised ATL only has four runways. Memphis has four runways. DFW has seven! No wonder ATL is infamous for endless waits on the tarmac.

The only time I've ever had waits on the runway or really have been delayed at all has been on Delta flights. I fly Airtran most places and never wait, everything runs smoothly.

^^alon504, no offense taken, but I seriously think that you umbalanced. I mean, it has its problems, after all it is the busiest airport in the world, but you make it sound like you're describing most of New Orleans and its politicians! I am joking...I really do love the French Quarter. But in all seriousness, I love Hartsfield, have only had once bad experience there, and if people hate it that much they should by all means stay away.

Here's some older ones, haven't seen any new ones around, not even on the Atlanta airport site. This $1.2B 5th runway is being called the most important runway on the east coast as it will relieve some of the backups at other airports associated with traffic delays at ATL. With 2700 flights a day leaving the place, it doesn't take much for a problem to cause a ripple effect across the rest of the country.

http://atcmonitor.com/rwy1.jpg

http://atcmonitor.com/rwy2.jpg

Have to disagree with this, Atlanta is the best LARGE airport in the United States. Ever been to Dallas, Chicago in the winter time?
Atlanta for it's size is well done. Once you get used to it, it is very easy to hop the train to the correct concourse grab a bite to eat and wait for the flight. Most problems are user error, but if able to go to Memphis or Charlotte
is perferred just because it's easier.

Or Dallas in the summertime?

Atlanta flows, which is why Denver is designed exactly like it. Move people in, through and out quickly. All of the concourses are to be remodeled, renovated and remade much like how Concourse E looks with it's marble floors, skylights, wall sconces and wood trim. Really, with the tight schedules airlines run these days, who notices the airport? You get off a plane, you run take a piss, grab a Coke and get to your next flight before the door shuts on your ass.

It's not surprising that Memphis has 4 runways since it is the busiest cargo airport in the world. DFW has the advantage of being the second largest airport in the U.S. in terms of land area (only Denver is larger, and both were constructed from the ground up in the last 32 years--DFW in 1974 and DIA in 1994 whereas ATL is an expansion of the city's original airport property that opened in 1926), so it has been easy for them to build 7 runways because the airport's land area is larger than that of the island of Manhattan. Chicago's O'Hare (ORD) has 6 runways, and since it opened in 1955, it was built on larger parcel of land than the older Hartsfield-Jackson site and, therefore, has also had an easier time building additional runways. ATL is closely surrounded by 3 interstate highways (I-85, I-285, and I-75), so in order to build a much needed fifth runway, it had to built over I-285 which obviously is not an easy task. However, unlike DFW, ORD, and MEM, ALL of ATL's runways are parallel, including the new fifth runway which will soon be completed. Yes, DFW has 5 parallel runways but also has 2 diagonal runways. ORD has diagonal runways running in 3 different directions--no more than 2 parallel runways in any given direction. MEM has 3 parallel north-south runways and one perpendicular east-west runway. Why does ATL have the advantage over the rest? Because with ALL of it's runways being parallel, there is no crossing of flight paths, so planes can take off and land simultaneously on all four (soon to be five) runways continuously without having to wait for any planes to take off or land on a non-parallel runway that would cross their flightpath.

Here are satellite views (same scale) of ATL (before construction of the 5th runway to the south of the other runways), DFW, and ORD for comparison:

ATL
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/randy4au/ATL_satellite_view.jpg

DFW
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/randy4au/dfw_satellite_view.jpg

ORD
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/randy4au/ORD_satellite_view.jpg



And speaking of the new fifth runway, I found these two aerial views at airliners.net:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/randy4au/hartsfield001.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/randy4au/hartsfield002.jpg

I think that Detroit is the best large aiport in the country. It used to be the worst. Now all mainline jets are in one very long terminal. With the tram and the moving walkways, it is very easy to get around. I love how light and open it is, and I love the massive videoscreens that can be seen from anywhere in the airport. You don't have to try to grab a seat in view of the TV, but you can see a giant one in every direction. The Westin at DTW has to be the best airport hotel in the country. It's a beautiful, functional airport. The only thing I don't like about it is that you have to go through a tunnel to get to the tonka jet (commuter jet) gates.

Wow! Looks like some serious dirt is being moved where the new international terminal is to go.... I thought there were design issues and serious cost overruns that was stalling the project? It would appear by this picture that they're getting the ground ready so that if a design is approved, it would be a faster track on getting it finished.

New Facility Features:
+ New global international gateway
+ Enhanced international passenger customer service
+ 1.2 million square-foot International Terminal and Concourse
+ 10 new international gates available for domestic use during Non-Peak Hours
+ Connects to existing 28-gate International Concourse for a total of 38 International Gates
+ Additional Bureau of Customs and Border Protection facility
+ In-line baggage screening system
+ 1,100 short-term parking spaces
+ Two-level terminal roadway system and curb-front conveniently separates departing and arriving vehicle traffic
+ Reconfiguration of Aviation Boulevard to create the first east-side entrance to Hartsfield-Jackson
+ International air carriers such as Delta Air Lines, Air Jamaica, British Airways, Korean Air and Lufthansa Airlines will have customer check-in counters
+ Automated people mover extension to new terminal and new storage facility

The "old" Intl Terminal Design & Concourse F (10 Gates)

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/sublevels/news_room/images/00001L.jpg

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/sublevels/airport_info/images/slideshow.gif

It will still be simply Hartsfield airport to me. I found it to be insulting to rename it, even if it is with a "-"

Especially to the recent mayors whp have used the city's ownership for personal gain. It should be its own authority (yeah that will ever happen...).

If you look at the DFW, planes can take off from all runways simultaneously without crossing flightpaths. The 5 parallel North-South runways can all takeoff towards the south. A plane can take off on the western diagnal runway to the Northwest. Another can take off on the eastern diagnal runway to the Southeast. None will cross flightpaths. Also, DFW is building taxiways around the end of the runways so that planes don't have to cross a runway to access the terminal. No waiting on the taxiway for a plane to land to cross the runway. Also, they are building and 8th runway. I doubt there is an airport with a larger capacity anywhere in the world. How do DFW and ATL compare with cargo?

2005 Cargo (according to www.airports.org)
Rank City (Airport) Total Cargo % Change

1 MEMPHIS, TN (MEM) 3 598 500 1.2
15 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 1 547 859 ( 1.3)
25 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 764 717 ( 11.2)
28 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 720 623 ( 2.8)

2005 Movements (Takeoffs/Landings)
Rank City (Airport) Total Movements % Change

1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 980,386 1.6
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 972,248 ( 2.0)
3 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 711,878 ( 11.2)

2005 Passengers (Enplanements/Transfers)
Rank City (Airport) Total Passengers % Change

1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 85,907,423 2.8
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 76,510,003 1.3
3 LONDON, GB (LHR) 67,915,389 0.8
4 TOKYO, JP (HND) 63,282,219 1.6
5 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX) 61,485,269 1.3
6 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 59,064,360 (0.6)

http://www.megascenery.com/images/megacityatlanta/atl1.jpg

^Is that a screen shot from a flight simulator??? Amazing

Guys, this thread had me worried when i saw it, but i'm really proud of it :-) Way to step up and handle the criticisms and attacks on this airport.

I feel like I have grown up at this airport. I've probably flown out of it hundreds of times. My dad had to fly all over the world for business, and he always raved about how much more efficient and streamlined Hartsfield was than any other airport. Of all the cool things Atlanta has to offer, i'll always be especially proud of this airport.

I've made many connecting flights in Atlanta during my lifetime beginning around the age of 5 or 6 in the early 70's, so I've sort of "grown up at this airport" too, and I've also had the privilege of watching this airport grow up. I have vivid memories of the old terminal with its turquoise green exterior and how incredibly busy and crowded it was. We had to change planes there once on Christmas Eve during the mid-1970's, and there were not enough gates to accommodate all the planes. We had to park out on the apron and ride a bus to one of the two Delta rotundas which was packed so full with holiday travelers that you could hardly walk through the crowd. And I can also remember my last departure from the old terminal and seeing the massive new "midfield" terminal complex under construction as we taxied out to one of the newly completed runways on the south side of the present complex (btw, today's northernmost runway is the only runway that survives from the original 3 diagonal runway layout. This webpage has many great photos of the old terminal:

http://oldterminals.topcities.com/atlanta.html

We probably would not have this thread if it wasn't for Maynard Jackson. The magnitude of the airport has a lot to do with Maynard Jackson, definately not William B. Hartsfield. Though Hartsfield was very instrumental to bringing an airport to Atlanta, Atlanta would have had an airport anyway in due time. But, the scale of being the largest and busiest airport, Atlanta should and they did give credit and honor to the man that made it happen. I personally despise when people make statements that show their ignorance. If you feel it is an insult, then you should also feel that it should not have the name of any man.

Yeah, from Megascenery. It comes out in April. I kind of wish they had gone ahead and made the 5th runway functional before releasing it since the real one will be open in May.

As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Atlanta itself, its airport is top notch, and the one I've flown into and out of more than any other except for HSV.

But what is with that indention on the 5th runway's taxiway? Could they not build the taxiway just straight over the interstate?

I'll have to echo Randy's story. I too "grew up" with this airport, and I love it.

I can honestly understand why some folks abhor connecting through here, although if this is your home airport it's a totally different situation.

Being able to take the train down there is also one of my favorite things about our set-up here.

The airport is a good one in the sense of design and capacity, but it is unimpressive in regards to services or amenities. For example, there is not one hotel in the airport. There are no showers in any of the airline clubs like O'Hare or JFK. Also, the restaurants suck! But, I don't blame the airport as much as Delta....which has got to be the worst airline on the planet and basically owns Hartsfield. Because DL practically flies everywhere you can imagine out of ATL, you rarely see a foreign carrier here. I love the glamour and excitement of all the different international carriers you see at JFK, ORD, and LAX.

I wish DL would downsize and other carriers would pick up the slack and demand an improved airport facility.

Delta the "worst airline on the planet"? You're defintely in the minority with that opinion. Delta may not be everyone's favorite, but it nowhere near being the "worst." I've flown Delta more than any other airline, and when I've flown other airlines (United, American, and Northwest), they've never impressed me as much as Delta has. The only U.S. airline (of the 5 that I've flown) that matches Delta IMO is Southwest. I will admit, though, that it's been a few years since my last Delta flight, and considering their recent financial problems, their service quality may have declined recently (but financial problems have plagued most airlines in recent years). But I've been flying for over 31 years now, and Delta has been my consistent favorite during that time and certainly not the "worst airline on the planet."

I would put Northwest as worst, long before Delta!

You can monitor the Center & TRACON radar for Hartsfield and listen to the
center & tower at this website. It mainly focuses on the Macey arrival, the
world's busiest enroute air traffic approach corridor.

ATC Monitor: http://www.atcmonitor.com/

BTW, here's a list of all the food and beverage options at ATL:

Atlanta Bread Company
Au Bon Pain (2)
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (2)
Brews & Blues Bar (2)
Budweiser Brewhouse
Burger King (4)
Charley's Steakery (2)
Chick-fil-A
Chili's Bar & Bites
Chili's Too
Cinnabon (2)
Concorde Restro Bar
Domino's Pizza (2)
Edy's Grand Ice Cream (2)
Great Wraps
Hartsfield Bistro
Haussman Restro Bar
Hot Dog City
Hot Dog Construction Company
Houlihan's (2)
ICBY/Swenson's
Image's Lounge
Krystal
La Carrousel Bar
Last Call South
LePetit Bistro
Magnolia Bar & Grille
Manchu Wok (2)
Mandarin Express (2)
Miller Lite Victory Lane
Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs (3)
Paschals Resturant
Paschal's Southern Delights (2)
Pizza Hut/Hog Dog City
Plane Delicious
Popeye's Chicken (3)
Red Brick Tavern
Samuel Adams Brewhouse (2)
Sbarro Pizza
Seattle's Best Coffee (3)
Sojourner's
Spizzico
Sports Scene, The
Starbucks (5)
TCBY (4)
TGI Friday's
The Grove Natural Snacks (2)
Wall Street Deli
Wendy's (2)



O'Hare isn't much better:

http://www.flychicago.com/ConcessionsTerminalsORD/FoodBeverages.shtm


JFK is slightly better, but not to any extreme:

http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/jfkshopsframe.htm

Why is this Airport so busy? Its not like its servicing a extremely heavily populated area. ATL metro is 4.5mil (correct me if im wrong), NYC's is 20mil, LA is 17mil, and CHI is 9mil. London is 11mil(correct me if im wrong).

It's the largest hub for Delta airlines. Over 800 (I believe) flights a day just from one airline out of Hartsfield. It's also a major (if not the largest which I believe it is) hub for AirTran, the discount flyer, with about 200 flights a day. So, you have 1000 flights from 2 airlines at one airport, without even thinking of the other 2 dozen plus airlines flying out of there.

Dude, in all due respect, I know what I'm talking about. I did misstate a bit...meant to say "worst domestic US airline". Take a look at my screenname. I travel for a living and spend the better part of any week on a plane. I'm also a former resident of Atlanta. I've flown everybody and by far DL is the worst of the bunch.

Delta Airlines = The uncomfortable served the inedible by the indifferent. I'll attempt to elaborate, but it will be hard. There's nothing left to judge-no food, no snacks, no customer service, no pillows, no movies, no audio, no nothing. What's next, no seats? - wait, better not give them any ideas.

Customer service: They should hand out cowbells for passengers. You are treated like cattle, but at least they get fed. All that's missing are the cattle prods. Now I know what the cows felt like on the Chisholm Trail. At least on AA, UA, or CO you can be upgraded to "human class". Rotwilers snarl less than some crews. Surly to bed, surly to rise.(You need air mashalls to protect passengers from the crew!) Service? I didn't notice any. Basically, you'll get better service from the Styx boatman. Delta gives a whole new meaning to the word 'Airbus'. "Shut up, we get you there" could be there slogan.

Entertainment systems: If they exist at all, they predate the airline industry.

Economy class: Basically, contortionist seating. I've heard that if its gotten better recently, it's because it wasn't possible to to get any worse. The coach seats come close to defining cruel and unusual punishment. Economy class is like the Bataan Death March with carry-on luggage. Don't go unless you have a chiropractor and psychotherapist travelling with you. It's like being shipped via UPS to your destination.

Detla's ontime preformance at ATL: A broken clock has a better chance of being ontime into ATL.

Baggage: The baggage handlers have turned losing luggage into an advanced science. I've lost my luggage so many times that I keep a standard complaint letter on my laptop.

Condition of planes: Did Aeroflot have a salvage sale? DL has ancient aircraft held together by duct tape that are slightly younger than the Wright brothers. The only thing older than the planes are the flight attendants-and the meals.

Damn, I hate flying DL and increasingly have less choices due to cutbacks.

With all due respect, I prefer to trust experts like J.D. Power and Associates (and the opinions of those who don't refer to me as "dude"...LOL).

Delta shines in J.D. Power study
March 2005
J.D. Power and Associates' 2005 Airline Satisfaction Index Study ranked Delta one of the top three major U.S. airlines for overall customer satisfaction. In a study that looked exclusively at domestic flights, Delta had the highest index score among global carriers. The results of the study are based on responses from more than 2,600 passengers who flew on major U.S. airlines between May and October 2004. Overall customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in five factors: check-in/boarding/deplaning process; flight reservation/scheduling process; aircraft interior; in-flight amenities; and flight crew.

http://www.jdpower.com/pdf/2005042.pdf



Other accolades...

Executive Travel gives Delta top honors
January 2006
Executive Travel magazine, a publication distributed by American Express®, recently named Delta the Best Domestic Airline in 2005, based on the launch of SimpliFares® in January 2004. Results are tallied by the magazine's readers, who were asked which companies had blazed new paths, set trends or altered their industries with their products.

Business Travelers Choose Delta as Most Preferred Airline in Business Travel Survey
August 2005
Delta has been named as the most preferred airline for business travelers by the YPB&R/Yankelovich Partners 2005 National Business Travel Monitor, and more than 50 percent of survey participants mentioned Delta as one of their “preferred three airlines” when traveling for business. The YPB&R/Yankelovich Partners 2005 National Business Travel Monitor is a national survey of the travel habits, preferences and intentions of 1,200 active business travelers in the United States.

Delta stocks 'Most Original Wine List'
February 2006
For the second year running, a panel of wine experts has voted Delta's international wine program the "Most Original Wine List" in the "Cellar in the Sky 2005" wine awards. As Delta launches the largest international expansion in its history, it is uncorking and serving its BusinessElite customers the 10th edition of a unique selection of wines offering a distinctly global bouquet from its sky-high wine cellar.

I have to agree (sorry Randy) that Delta is horrible now. They're all I used to fly when I lived in Cincinnati but their quality has declined severely in the past few years. I can attest to their staff being surly (the flight attendants really have a chip on their shoulders about their paycuts) and the ground crew isn't much better.

The only domestic airline that is worse (IMO) is Northwest. They're just disgusting. Who wants to fly on a (seriously) 40 year old DC-9?

Me? I stick to Southwest and JetBlue exclusively now.

Well, I did state the following:

"I will admit, though, that it's been a few years since my last Delta flight, and considering their recent financial problems, their service quality may have declined recently (but financial problems have plagued most airlines in recent years)."

Besides, I've heard that service has gone downhill on most of the major carriers, with the exception of a few like Southwest. In the J.D. Power survey, JetBlue was #1, followed by Southwest, then Delta. Click on the PDF link for the complete results.

Brown, you must remember that the other cities you named are served by more than one major airport, whereas Atlanta is served by one. In addition, Atlanta's location and the fact that it is a major hub means that many other flights connect in Atlanta. I believe some one once said, "When you die, you'll have to change planes in Atlanta on your way to heaven".

Local enplanements at Hartsfield are 10% of passenger totals so the one airport vs. many is not really a factor. The number one reason it's busy is it's location and saturation of hub traffic. You can't put a (effective) hub on a coast is another reason that any one NY or LA doesn't have the traffic that ATL does. If ATL was where Savannah was, it wouldn't be a hub airport. It probably wouldn't have any more traffic than Boston or Baltimore.

I actually like the DC-9s. There's only one middle seat in each row, so only 1/5 chance of being stuck in the middle. On every other narrow body jet, its a 1/3 chance. The planes may be old, but they have the best reliability and safety record of any plane in the sky. Besides, the interior is new, so you can't tell the difference. The only thing different is that the planes aren't pressurized as well as new planes, and it's noisier in the back. Northwest has pretty bad domestic service as of late, but their international service far exceeds that of any us airline. They compete with the fancy asian carriers in the pacific, so they have to. The thing I don't like about Northwest is that they have so many tonka jets, which I absolutely hate. I do love connecting in Detroit, though.

Look man
 

I dont think Delta Airlines would be the largest carrier in the world if it sucked as u say it does...and by the way the reason why u dont see international people is cuz ur in the domestic concourses...next time u fly in delta in atlanta go to the E concourse...What other airport has trains in them!!! And yeah if u go to E concourse ull see there r a lot of international people...and I think in my opinion delta airlines is the best airline in the world and i have experience cuz ive flown in many airlines...
Delta airlines
American Airlines
Air tran
Continental airlines
united airlines
COpa airlines
Iberia

Yeah so in my personal opinion delta has the best first class to start it out..the best service and great prizes....so if delta sucks as bad as u say how come its the largest carrier in the world?????

DL is not the largest carrier. It is behind AA and also UA. It has a monopoly in ATL with little competition so it doesn't have to compete.

and by the way
 

For the guy that said that atlanta has 4.5 million people in their metropolitan area it is 5.3 now....and also...The reason why harsfield is the major one is because this...CHicago is in the middle of the country so they dont have that many flights to asia or stuff like that....NY has 2 airports so yeah...LA's majority of flights is to mexico,caribbean,south america,central america and asia....Europe im not sure they have that many...and atlanta has to asia,South central america...caribbean...mexico...US..Canada...Europe(Paris,London,Rome,Athens,brussels,frankfurt i think) and many others...they have flights to africa...so yeah...

in fact..i was wrong...It is the second not third...
 

Delta Air Lines (OTC Pink Sheets: DALRQ) (IATA: DL, ICAO: DAL, and Callsign: Delta) is a major U.S. airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operating a large domestic and international network that spans North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Delta operates hubs at Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York-JFK, and Salt Lake City. Delta also has large operations in many other cities, including Boston, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, Orlando, and Washington-Reagan. Delta is also the leading carrier in Florida. Its major international gateways are Atlanta, Cincinnati, and New York-JFK.

In terms of passengers carried (87 million in 2004), Delta is the second-largest airline in the world (behind American Airlines). In terms of total operating revenues, Delta is the fourth-largest airline in the world (behind Air France-KLM, American Airlines, and United Airlines) As of September 1, 2005, Delta (including its wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, Inc.) served 178 domestic cities in 46 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as 71 international cities, including 10 future ones, in 45 countries.

Cincinnati
Dallas/Forth Worth
Orlando
Minneapolis
Denver
San Francisco
Seattle

etc., etc., etc.

Having a train in an airport isn't really a bragging right anymore.

---

Re: Delta - Let's just say I miss the days of the L-1011 and "We love to fly - and it shows..."

Don't forget Tampa and Orlando.

And I miss the L-1011 too! It is such a beautiful plane!

I flew Delta from HSV to ATL two years ago and it wasn't bad. A 35 minute flight on a 737 or MD-80 isn't exactly one that you can judge as really good or really bad.

But, I will admit that the last three times members of my family have flown Delta to Atlanta or from Atlanta, we had lost baggage each time.

I can't think of Atlanta's airport without thinking about the episdoe of Futurama with the 'Lost City of Atlanta'

Fry: 'Atlanta, I thought that was just a Delta hub' LOL

Just a few things:

American Airlines is the world's largest / busiest airline, Delta is 2nd.

Chicago O'Hare is the United States Busiest International Flights Airport. Almost three times as many international flights than ATL.

[[What other airport has trains in them?]]

Cincinnati
Dallas/Fort Worth
Minneapolis
Denver
San Francisco
Orlando
St. Louis
Seattle
Chicago O'Hare

Airports with runways above/below auto highways:

Chicago Ohare (runway cross over - below is interstate)
St. Louis (runways above auto highway in tunnel below)
Atlanta (runways above auto highway in tunnel below)

--any others?--

The biggest "scary thing" about ATL is the fact that almost 85 percent of all Delta operations run out of this airport. If Delta should close or have major cuts and/or an acquisition/merge take place --- it could be the end of ATL's dominance. ATL airport knows this and in recent years has been trying to add new carriers and flights and diversify the airports carriers. I for one, don't think Delta has a strong future.

^American and especially United would not hesitate to fill in the Atlanta market in a few years. The southeast is one part of the country they are lacking in and O'hare can only be expanded so much, even with its modernization plan underway (which is mainly to fix its runway layout).

And also, JFK is the biggest international gateway in the US, not O'hare. In fact, O'hare is only four behind LAX and MIA.

There was a comment that only 10% of ATL's traffic is local. That is incorrect. In fact, it is closer to 45% local traffic. That means almost 40M local passengers used ATL in '05, still more than many single airport operations in the US (without the connecting traffic factor). I've read that ATL is either the 3rd or 4th busiest rental car market in the US, indicating a high level of local visitor traffic. The development of the long-awaited Consolidated Rental Car facility is now underway to accommodate growth in rental car business.

The amount of air service in ATL is one thing that continues to fuel the growth of the Metro Area, and that leads to more local demand for commercial service. With the 5th runway opening in just a few weeks, it will become even more efficient, and there are plans to build bypass taxiways around the west end of both inner runways (8R & 9L) so that planes landing on the outer runways don't have to wait to cross. The thing that impresses me most is how much has been packed into that relatively small amount of acreage. ATL has grown very little in land while other major airports are vastly larger and have more flexibility. Still, ATL is tops in both aircraft operations and passengers, and unless DL goes belly up, that will not change anytime soon. It may not be the most modern or attractive airport, but it is incredibly efficient. And if anyone has read the recent articles speaking on the extensive terminal renovation and expansion projects to be completed this decade, I'd say these are clear indicators of a goal to improve the look and feel of the most heavily used terminal facility in the World.

Hmmm....I've flown DL probably 100 times and never once had lost luggage (prob check half the time). Sounds like you're just one of those unlucky ones. Also, not sure where you're getting your info on food/snacks as I was just on a flight last week and they served snacks twice. No audio? You must be deaf. No video? Blind. Customer Service? I am constantly greeted by CS staff (DL empl) and occasionally provided with vouchers for significant inconveniences.

Sounds like there's more to this hatred than you're letting on. I am very sorry you have to use an airline you hate so much but some of your statements are borderline defamation.

The last time I flew Delta was in November from BUF-BNA. I was in coach on the BUF-ATL leg and recieved no beverage service whatsoever. On the ATL-BNA segment, I was in first class, so I received service, though coach did not.

No audio or video either, though it was just an MD-88.

Customer service was lackluster, with one flight attendant telling me she was quitting once the plane landed back in ATL after turning around in BNA. It's sad to see such a great airline in shambles :(

Thanks!
 

Hey Bryant - Hope you're doing well out there. Thanks for the sensible and well-informed post. I get so tired of people claiming that ATL is 85% connecting pax, when those of us in the industry know it simply isn't true. :)

atlantaguy, I'm doing very well, thanks..making my move from Palm Springs to The Motor City right now, actually..big changes ahead for me, on many levels! I stayed in Downtown Kansas City last night, and was impressed with some of the city's districts I saw during a driving tour given by a local friend. Hope you're doing well also..drop me a note sometime and let me know what's up with you! Thanks...

Good to see a post from you, Bryant! Haven't seen you around in a while.