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Hartsfield-Jackson sees record number of travelers ahead of Memorial Day weekend – WSB-TV Channel 2

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is on pace to break another record for the number of travelers passing through it in a single day.

The Transportation Security Administration says 111,000 people passed through its security checkpoints Thursday. That broke the previous record of 104,174 set Monday after Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl in 2019.

Channel 2’s Bryan Mims was at the airport on Friday where there was still a large crowd.

“With the way things are going with people flying again, just like they did way before the pandemic, I think people are more confident about getting on planes and traveling now,” said airport spokesman Herschel Grangent Jr.

Grangent said operations were running smoothly Friday and wait times at security checkpoints were mostly less than 10 minutes. But the airport experienced some difficulties Thursday evening when a conveyor belt intended for baggage screening broke down in the international terminal, causing bags to pile up at check-in counters. TSA employees had to carry bags to screeners.

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A TSA spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News the problem was resolved quickly and the belt moved again after about 30 minutes. Yet with so many travelers, it didn’t take long to create a backlog.

“It doesn’t take much given the volume of passengers and baggage that are arriving,” Grangent said. “A delay of 10 or 15 seconds up to a few minutes can be a 30 minute delay on the back end.”

Airport officials urge travelers to arrive at least two hours before their flight and check the airport’s official website for the latest information on checkpoint schedules and flight information.

Nick LaRoche of Connecticut travels to Atlanta often, but he says he’s never seen a city as busy as Friday afternoon.

“This is a zoo right now,” he said. “The last time I was here it was a lot quieter. Certainly less crowded and certainly less rushed.

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As for how smooth the experience is, that depends on who you ask.

Céline Hampson arrived from Philadelphia and described it as child’s play. “I was actually preparing for the worst,” she said. “I thought it was going to be worse than this, so it’s definitely a lot lighter than I expected.”

But Esta Montanez, who is flying to Puerto Rico, said it was very complicated to get to the airport.

“Today was probably the busiest day I’ve ever seen,” she said. When asked what advice she would give to others heading to the airport: “Just stay home. Please stay home,” she said, laughing.

“This is clearly not a choice for the thousands of people rushing to the Atlanta airport. “Be patient,” she continued. “Because it will be busy.”

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