Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport

[Panamaboy9016]

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL) is located in the Atlanta, Georgia, USA metropolitan area, and is the busiest airport in the world both in terms of number of passengers as well as the number of takeoffs and landings, surpassing Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. It accommodated 980,197 takeoffs and landings in 2005, and handled 88.4 million passengers according to projections. Many of these flights are domestic flights from within the United States where Atlanta serves as a major transfer point for flights to and from smaller East Coast cities. As such, it has been the subject of an old joke that states that it doesn't matter where one will go in the afterlife, they will transfer through Atlanta to get there. As an international gateway to the United States Hartsfield-Jackson ranks seventh; JFK International in New York City is first.[1]
Also the hub of Delta Airlines and Air Tran....

The airport is located partly within the southern city limits of Atlanta and is adjacent to the city of College Park, Georgia, which is south of the city limits of Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways. The airport is located within Fulton and Clayton Counties.

[427MM]

Nice pics! Any chance of a pic showing the new runway crossing over I-285? I’ve always liked pictures from California of runways or taxiways over highways and I think it’s too cool that Atlanta is getting one.

[alon504]

No offense to anyone in Atlanta...I really like Atlanta, but, Hartsfield is, by far, the worst airport in the United States. Service there is horrible, flights are delayed, the airport is unattractive, dirty, overcrowded, and inefficient. I pay extra money, frequently, to avoid setting foot in that huge pit.

[tennreb]

I'm suprised ATL only has four runways. Memphis has four runways. DFW has seven! No wonder ATL is infamous for endless waits on the tarmac.

[mayhem]

The only time I've ever had waits on the runway or really have been delayed at all has been on Delta flights. I fly Airtran most places and never wait, everything runs smoothly.

[mexibone]

^^alon504, no offense taken, but I seriously think that you umbalanced. I mean, it has its problems, after all it is the busiest airport in the world, but you make it sound like you're describing most of New Orleans and its politicians! I am joking...I really do love the French Quarter. But in all seriousness, I love Hartsfield, have only had once bad experience there, and if people hate it that much they should by all means stay away.

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by 420MM

Nice pics! Any chance of a pic showing the new runway crossing over I-285? I’ve always liked pictures from California of runways or taxiways over highways and I think it’s too cool that Atlanta is getting one.

Here's some older ones, haven't seen any new ones around, not even on the Atlanta airport site. This $1.2B 5th runway is being called the most important runway on the east coast as it will relieve some of the backups at other airports associated with traffic delays at ATL. With 2700 flights a day leaving the place, it doesn't take much for a problem to cause a ripple effect across the rest of the country.

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by alon504

No offense to anyone in Atlanta...I really like Atlanta, but, Hartsfield is, by far, the worst airport in the United States. Service there is horrible, flights are delayed, the airport is unattractive, dirty, overcrowded, and inefficient. I pay extra money, frequently, to avoid setting foot in that huge pit.

Have to disagree with this, Atlanta is the best LARGE airport in the United States. Ever been to Dallas, Chicago in the winter time?
Atlanta for it's size is well done. Once you get used to it, it is very easy to hop the train to the correct concourse grab a bite to eat and wait for the flight. Most problems are user error, but if able to go to Memphis or Charlotte
is perferred just because it's easier.

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Have to disagree with this, Atlanta is the best LARGE airport in the United States. Ever been to Dallas, Chicago in the winter time?

Or Dallas in the summertime?

Atlanta flows, which is why Denver is designed exactly like it. Move people in, through and out quickly. All of the concourses are to be remodeled, renovated and remade much like how Concourse E looks with it's marble floors, skylights, wall sconces and wood trim. Really, with the tight schedules airlines run these days, who notices the airport? You get off a plane, you run take a piss, grab a Coke and get to your next flight before the door shuts on your ass.

[Randy Sandford]

Originally Posted by tennreb

I'm suprised ATL only has four runways. Memphis has four runways. DFW has seven! No wonder ATL is infamous for endless waits on the tarmac.

It's not surprising that Memphis has 4 runways since it is the busiest cargo airport in the world. DFW has the advantage of being the second largest airport in the U.S. in terms of land area (only Denver is larger, and both were constructed from the ground up in the last 32 years--DFW in 1974 and DIA in 1994 whereas ATL is an expansion of the city's original airport property that opened in 1926), so it has been easy for them to build 7 runways because the airport's land area is larger than that of the island of Manhattan. Chicago's O'Hare (ORD) has 6 runways, and since it opened in 1955, it was built on larger parcel of land than the older Hartsfield-Jackson site and, therefore, has also had an easier time building additional runways. ATL is closely surrounded by 3 interstate highways (I-85, I-285, and I-75), so in order to build a much needed fifth runway, it had to built over I-285 which obviously is not an easy task. However, unlike DFW, ORD, and MEM, ALL of ATL's runways are parallel, including the new fifth runway which will soon be completed. Yes, DFW has 5 parallel runways but also has 2 diagonal runways. ORD has diagonal runways running in 3 different directions--no more than 2 parallel runways in any given direction. MEM has 3 parallel north-south runways and one perpendicular east-west runway. Why does ATL have the advantage over the rest? Because with ALL of it's runways being parallel, there is no crossing of flight paths, so planes can take off and land simultaneously on all four (soon to be five) runways continuously without having to wait for any planes to take off or land on a non-parallel runway that would cross their flightpath.

Here are satellite views (same scale) of ATL (before construction of the 5th runway to the south of the other runways), DFW, and ORD for comparison:

ATL


DFW


ORD




And speaking of the new fifth runway, I found these two aerial views at airliners.net:

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Have to disagree with this, Atlanta is the best LARGE airport in the United States. Ever been to Dallas, Chicago in the winter time?
Atlanta for it's size is well done. Once you get used to it, it is very easy to hop the train to the correct concourse grab a bite to eat and wait for the flight. Most problems are user error, but if able to go to Memphis or Charlotte
is perferred just because it's easier.

I think that Detroit is the best large aiport in the country. It used to be the worst. Now all mainline jets are in one very long terminal. With the tram and the moving walkways, it is very easy to get around. I love how light and open it is, and I love the massive videoscreens that can be seen from anywhere in the airport. You don't have to try to grab a seat in view of the TV, but you can see a giant one in every direction. The Westin at DTW has to be the best airport hotel in the country. It's a beautiful, functional airport. The only thing I don't like about it is that you have to go through a tunnel to get to the tonka jet (commuter jet) gates.

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by Randy Sandford

And speaking of the new fifth runway, I found these two aerial views at airliners.net:

Wow! Looks like some serious dirt is being moved where the new international terminal is to go.... I thought there were design issues and serious cost overruns that was stalling the project? It would appear by this picture that they're getting the ground ready so that if a design is approved, it would be a faster track on getting it finished.

New Facility Features:
+ New global international gateway
+ Enhanced international passenger customer service
+ 1.2 million square-foot International Terminal and Concourse
+ 10 new international gates available for domestic use during Non-Peak Hours
+ Connects to existing 28-gate International Concourse for a total of 38 International Gates
+ Additional Bureau of Customs and Border Protection facility
+ In-line baggage screening system
+ 1,100 short-term parking spaces
+ Two-level terminal roadway system and curb-front conveniently separates departing and arriving vehicle traffic
+ Reconfiguration of Aviation Boulevard to create the first east-side entrance to Hartsfield-Jackson
+ International air carriers such as Delta Air Lines, Air Jamaica, British Airways, Korean Air and Lufthansa Airlines will have customer check-in counters
+ Automated people mover extension to new terminal and new storage facility

The "old" Intl Terminal Design & Concourse F (10 Gates)

[themaguffin]

It will still be simply Hartsfield airport to me. I found it to be insulting to rename it, even if it is with a "-"

Especially to the recent mayors whp have used the city's ownership for personal gain. It should be its own authority (yeah that will ever happen...).

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by Randy Sandford

However, unlike DFW, ORD, and MEM, ALL of ATL's runways are parallel, including the new fifth runway which will soon be completed. Yes, DFW has 5 parallel runways but also has 2 diagonal runways. ORD has diagonal runways running in 3 different directions--no more than 2 parallel runways in any given direction. MEM has 3 parallel north-south runways and one perpendicular east-west runway. Why does ATL have the advantage over the rest? Because with ALL of it's runways being parallel, there is no crossing of flight paths, so planes can take off and land simultaneously on all four (soon to be five) runways continuously without having to wait for any planes to take off or land on a non-parallel runway that would cross their flightpath.

If you look at the DFW, planes can take off from all runways simultaneously without crossing flightpaths. The 5 parallel North-South runways can all takeoff towards the south. A plane can take off on the western diagnal runway to the Northwest. Another can take off on the eastern diagnal runway to the Southeast. None will cross flightpaths. Also, DFW is building taxiways around the end of the runways so that planes don't have to cross a runway to access the terminal. No waiting on the taxiway for a plane to land to cross the runway. Also, they are building and 8th runway. I doubt there is an airport with a larger capacity anywhere in the world. How do DFW and ATL compare with cargo?

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by tennreb

How do DFW and ATL compare with cargo?

2005 Cargo (according to www.airports.org)
Rank City (Airport) Total Cargo % Change

1 MEMPHIS, TN (MEM) 3 598 500 1.2
15 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 1 547 859 ( 1.3)
25 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 764 717 ( 11.2)
28 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 720 623 ( 2.8)

2005 Movements (Takeoffs/Landings)
Rank City (Airport) Total Movements % Change

1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 980,386 1.6
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 972,248 ( 2.0)
3 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 711,878 ( 11.2)

2005 Passengers (Enplanements/Transfers)
Rank City (Airport) Total Passengers % Change

1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL) 85,907,423 2.8
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD) 76,510,003 1.3
3 LONDON, GB (LHR) 67,915,389 0.8
4 TOKYO, JP (HND) 63,282,219 1.6
5 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX) 61,485,269 1.3
6 DALLAS, TX (DFW) 59,064,360 (0.6)

[john3eblover]

^Is that a screen shot from a flight simulator??? Amazing

Guys, this thread had me worried when i saw it, but i'm really proud of it :-) Way to step up and handle the criticisms and attacks on this airport.

I feel like I have grown up at this airport. I've probably flown out of it hundreds of times. My dad had to fly all over the world for business, and he always raved about how much more efficient and streamlined Hartsfield was than any other airport. Of all the cool things Atlanta has to offer, i'll always be especially proud of this airport.

[Randy Sandford]

Originally Posted by john3eblover

I feel like I have grown up at this airport. I've probably flown out of it hundreds of times. My dad had to fly all over the world for business, and he always raved about how much more efficient and streamlined Hartsfield was than any other airport. Of all the cool things Atlanta has to offer, i'll always be especially proud of this airport.

I've made many connecting flights in Atlanta during my lifetime beginning around the age of 5 or 6 in the early 70's, so I've sort of "grown up at this airport" too, and I've also had the privilege of watching this airport grow up. I have vivid memories of the old terminal with its turquoise green exterior and how incredibly busy and crowded it was. We had to change planes there once on Christmas Eve during the mid-1970's, and there were not enough gates to accommodate all the planes. We had to park out on the apron and ride a bus to one of the two Delta rotundas which was packed so full with holiday travelers that you could hardly walk through the crowd. And I can also remember my last departure from the old terminal and seeing the massive new "midfield" terminal complex under construction as we taxied out to one of the newly completed runways on the south side of the present complex (btw, today's northernmost runway is the only runway that survives from the original 3 diagonal runway layout. This webpage has many great photos of the old terminal:

http://oldterminals.topcities.com/atlanta.html

[scania]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

It will still be simply Hartsfield airport to me. I found it to be insulting to rename it, even if it is with a "-"

Especially to the recent mayors whp have used the city's ownership for personal gain. It should be its own authority (yeah that will ever happen...).

We probably would not have this thread if it wasn't for Maynard Jackson. The magnitude of the airport has a lot to do with Maynard Jackson, definately not William B. Hartsfield. Though Hartsfield was very instrumental to bringing an airport to Atlanta, Atlanta would have had an airport anyway in due time. But, the scale of being the largest and busiest airport, Atlanta should and they did give credit and honor to the man that made it happen. I personally despise when people make statements that show their ignorance. If you feel it is an insult, then you should also feel that it should not have the name of any man.

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by john3eblover

^Is that a screen shot from a flight simulator??? Amazing

Yeah, from Megascenery. It comes out in April. I kind of wish they had gone ahead and made the 5th runway functional before releasing it since the real one will be open in May.

[Rail Claimore]

As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Atlanta itself, its airport is top notch, and the one I've flown into and out of more than any other except for HSV.

But what is with that indention on the 5th runway's taxiway? Could they not build the taxiway just straight over the interstate?