ATLANTA — Nearly 600 delays and more than 100 cancelations happened Thursday at the world's busiest airport with winter weather pounding much of the nation.
Almost 2 million people are expected to travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for the holiday weekend, creating a travel disaster for those just trying to reach their loved ones for the holidays.
The weather outside is frightful, and inside Atlanta's airport, many travelers are dealing with major headaches.
“I’m hopefully waiting here for my flight to go home. Hopefully," Christopher Fulton, a traveler dealing with the pain of delays at the Atlanta airport said.
Fulton had quite the experience Thursday evening. Due to the wintry weather that has impacted not only the Southeast, but the entire country, Fulton's flight back home to Tampa has been delayed three times.
He trying to pass the time on laptop and phone.
“I'll talk to my family, talk to my girlfriend, and stay positive," Fulton said.
He waits for his flight home back to Florida with one delay after the other.
“Since I’ve been sitting here, a couple of people’s flights have been canceled," Fulton said. "It sucks for them because Christmas is on Sunday, and they won’t be home to their families in time. It’s heartbreaking.”
Those with Hartsfield-Jackson said the issue are flights from up north being grounded, which means issues for travelers in Atlanta.
“I figured the problem was the flights coming in, not actually leaving," Fulton said. "A lot of folks are coming from Chicago and some places the weather is hitting right now, so that’s the biggest problem.”
Those at the airport encourage you to arrive at least two-and-a-half hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights. You should add 30 minutes to that if you have an infant or someone in a wheelchair, they recommended.
Traveler Catherine Rodriguez took that advice to heart. She arrived three hours early for her flight to Miami.
“I did not want to be sprinting across the terminals to try to make my flight, so thankfully I planned ahead and made it on time," Rodriguez said. "I just hope everybody can just plan ahead, especially with the colder and winter weather coming in.”
Fulton has a message for fliers as he hopes his flight isn't delayed yet again.
“Bunker in, stay safe, and hope for the best," Fulton said. "Have patience, a lot of patience.”
Those at the airport report having at least one restaurant open in every concourse 24/7 in anticipation for people staying a little longer than they expected.
The flight-tracking website, FlightAware, reported almost 10,000 delays and nearly 2,500 cancelations in the United States on Thursday.
Airport officials said they're having regular winter weather conference calls and have materials ready if ice develops. They're also working with airlines for de-icing.
Those with the airport encourage you to check their website for the latest information and download the app for the airline you're traveling with.