Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Gets Ready for the Holiday Season Rush
During the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is the busiest airport in the world prepares to tackle another round of heavy traffic. From Friday, November 22 to Monday, December 2, airport officials said that about 4.2 million passengers transited through the airports’ terminals. This number is likely to increase sharply in the coming days as the celebrations of Christmas and New Year are around the corner and people, both domestic and international, are on the move.
The Deputy General Manager of Operations Jordan Biegler appears on the ‘Closer Look’ program to talk about expected year-end travel, how to cope with the crowded environment of the airport, and review the Thanksgiving travel experience. He warned tourists to be prepared and alert especially during the festive seasons and other similar occasions.
Travel Tips for the Holidays
Biegler pointed out the following helpful advice for passengers with a view of helping them navigate the airports more efficiently. First, passengers are advised to arrive early, have enough time for their check-in, go through security checks and get to their gate. He also recommended that people download the airport application that provided information on the status of flights, parking spaces and terminals.
To mitigate this stress, Hartsfield-Jackson is planning to increase staffing of customer service and also increase personnel to manage crowds and address questions. Measures to secure the passengers have also been taken with screening, as well as police presence throughout the airports enhanced.
Winter Weather Preparations
As winter draws nearer to Atlanta, the operational teams in the airports are planning and preparing for adverse impacts such as snow and ice on planes. It is not very cold for half of the year and almost never snows, but even minimal amounts of ice cause massive flight disruptions. Hartsfield-Jackson has prepared its contingency plans, the equipment for the removal of the ice, cleaning of the runway as soon as the snow stops falling and close collaboration with the airlines.
“Winter weather is one of the few things that can really shut down operations of an airport of this size,” Biegler said. “We have gained knowledge in the previous calamities and have sound business continuity plans on the ground.”
Construction Updates
In addition to handling the holiday and weather issues, the airport is gradually tackling and completing multiple-year capital improvement projects. These include terminal facility improvements, developments to baggage handling and dealing systems as well as expansion for future growth. Biegler also assured the travelers that construction work is being planned in such a way that it will not interfere with the holiday period.
Looking Ahead
As millions of passengers are expected to journey through Hartsfield-Jackson over the next few weeks, the airport’s top priority continues to be safe and effective travel. Whether it is installing and enforcing safety precautions or having plans for operation in cases of winter weather, the airport strives to continue to be the world’s premier operation for air travel.
Regardless of the type of trip, a person is making whether going to a family reunion or coming back from the holiday, one is advised to always plan, carry along with him/her patience and ensure he/she exploits all the resources within his/her disposal so as to make the trip as smooth as possible.
