Houston travelers feel impact of Atlanta airport woes

Jeff Ehling Image
Monday, December 18, 2017
Flight delays
Flight issues at Atlanta airport cause ripple effect for travelers around the country.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It is going to be a challenging day for air travelers as the nation's busiest airport gets back up and running after a power outage.

A fire is being blamed for the problems in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and it left people stranded here in Houston.

From the floor to the chairs, passengers trying to get to Atlanta found themselves spending a long night here in Houston.

The fire at that Atlanta airport plunged the terminals into darkness and left people stranded in planes with no way to get out.

The FAA issued a ground stop on all flights for several hours and that caused airlines all over the world to cancel flights.

That includes dozens, if not hundreds, of passengers here in Houston.

One passenger says she stayed at Hobby Airport all night long and will be there for another 12 hours before finally getting on a flight home.

"I talked to my friends. I came down for my girlfriend's wedding. I went to get something to eat. I've been waiting," said Dee Dee Dobson.

Some passengers did opt to find hotel rooms for the night.

Delta reopened its ticket desk around 4 a.m., and now people who were there all night are starting to get back on track. As of 5 a.m., the departure and arrival board showed all Atlanta flights are on time both inbound and outbound.

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