ATL: Atlanta Still Digging Out After FAA Ground Stop, 600+ Delta-Heavy Cancellations Saturday

ATLANTA, Sunday, November 15, 2026 — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is still working through the backlog from Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stop. More than 600 flights were cancelled on Saturday, most of them Delta, and some Sunday flights were cancelled before the day began.

What happened

The FAA halted departures nationwide on the afternoon of Friday, November 13, after a telecommunications outage hit air traffic control systems. The stop lasted about four hours. Hartsfield-Jackson said on Friday afternoon that arriving flights could still land but departures were on hold. WSB-TV, citing FlightAware, tracked ATL climbing to about 300 cancellations and roughly 750 delays by early Friday evening.

Federal officials say a contractor, L3Harris, was replacing copper wiring with fiber at a remote FAA site when a router began flooding other parts of the network. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA said there was no sign of a cyberattack. Whether the cause was human error or a faulty router had not been determined as of Sunday morning.

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Where ATL stands

Atlanta News First reported that the large majority of Saturday’s ATL cancellations were Delta flights. On Friday night, area hotels and rental car counters sold out, according to WSB-TV.

Airline waivers and recovery outlook

• Delta is waiving certain change fees for travel on Friday through Sunday, November 13–15, and is encouraging customers with flexible plans to move to Monday, November 16 or later. Cancelled passengers are being rebooked automatically.
• Frontier issued a waiver for November 13–15.
• FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Saturday that “the worst is behind us” and expected normal operations on Sunday. Secretary Duffy said airlines should be at full capacity heading into Monday.
• CBS News reported on Sunday morning that delays were still possible at Atlanta and several other major airports.

What it means for non-revs

• Loads are the problem, not the airport. Hundreds of cancelled Delta flights means thousands of revenue passengers are being reaccommodated onto Sunday, Monday and early-week departures out of ATL. Expect very tight loads and long standby lists through at least Monday.
• Delta pass riders: wait if you can. Delta is actively pushing flexible customers to Monday and later, which fills those flights too. If your trip is optional, consider pushing it to midweek, and check loads right before you list.
• Avoid tight ATL connections. Crews and aircraft are still out of position. A missed connection at the system’s biggest hub means competing with displaced revenue passengers for every seat.
• Carry on. With heavy rebooking and late aircraft, bags are more likely to be separated from passengers.
• Have a backup. Check other carriers you have pass privileges on, and nearby options, before heading to the airport. Hotels and rental cars sold out on Friday night, so don’t count on an easy overnight if you get stuck.
• Thanksgiving is next. Officials expect a full recovery before Thanksgiving week, but any leftover disruption will run straight into the year’s heaviest travel period.

Sources

• WCTV / Atlanta News First — Delays continue at Hartsfield-Jackson day after nationwide ground stop
• WSB-TV Channel 2 — LIVE UPDATES: Nationwide ground stop lifted, some flights resuming, FAA says
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — FAA ground stop at Atlanta airport: Latest on flight delays, cancellations
• FOX 5 Atlanta — Delta Air Lines: Flight delays continue Saturday after nationwide ground stop
• CBS News — Flights expected to return to normal by Sunday night after nationwide ground stop, FAA says. Here’s what to know