Sudden power outage creates ‘nightmare’ at Atlanta airport
ATLANTA — A sudden power outage caused by a fire in an underground electrical facility brought the world’s busiest airport to a standstill Sunday, grounding more than 1,000 flights in Atlanta just days before the start of the Christmas travel rush. More than 10 hours after the blackout began, authorities announced that electricity had been restored to several areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.
Georgia Power said on its Twitter page late Sunday that power was back in the airport’s atrium and several concourses. It tweeted to the Associated Press that several more were still being worked on. The utility said earlier it expected power to be fully restored by midnight.
Passengers at the airport were left in the dark when the lights went out at around 1 p.m. The outage halted all outgoing flights, and arriving planes were held on the ground at their point of departure. International flights were being diverted, officials said.
Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted Sunday night that all passengers had been safely deplaned.