Atlanta Airport (ATL)

In 2010, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport was named as the busiest airport in the world. The tag was made in reference to its number of flights and passengers. The airport can accommodate 90 million passengers annually which are approximately 243,000 passengers daily for 90, 119 flights. The almost one million flights are mostly domestic. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport has 199 gates for both international and domestic flights.

Atlanta Hartsfield Airport is located 11 kilometer or seven miles from south of Atlanta’s central business district. It is the prime hub of Delta Air Lines, AirTran Airways, and Delta Connection.

On April 16, 1925 Atlanta Mayor Walter A. Sims committed the city of Atlanta into developing an airfield in an abandoned auto racetrack after he signed the five year lease of the land. Originally, the 287 acres of land is named as Candler Field. It has been used as a landing site even before 1925.

In September of 1926 Florida Airways started to deliver mail for the residents of Atlanta, Tampa, and JacksonVille. In 1929, the city purchases the land and renamed it as Atlanta Municipal Airport.

The airport first control tower opened in March 1939. By May of 1948, the officials of the airport decided to move the operations to a war-surplus hangar as the plans for building a larger terminal is in motion. By that time, some 1 million people are coming through the airport already.

Following the death of William B. Hartsfield on February 22, the airport had been renamed as William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. In 1980, Atlanta B. Hartsfield airport opened the world’s largest air passenger terminal complex that can accommodate annual passengers up to 55 million. In October 2003, the airport name was again changed, this time to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This is to also honor the late Mayor Maynard H. Jackson. Thus, the airport then honors two great leaders of Atlanta.

The airport received a number of national recognition and honors for its services while Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport was named by Forbes Magazine as the top airport in the US for WiFi connectivity. Because of the growing number of passengers, the airport launched a development program dubbed as “Focus on the Future”. This involves construction projects that aim to serve around 121 million of passengers by the year 2015. The total cost of the project is now likely at more than $9 billion.

To fully serve the needs of the passengers, the Atlanta airport has opened the Hartsfield-Jackson Rental Car Center in December of 2009. It houses ten top car rental agencies in the city with a capacity to accommodate additional rental companies. The building has 9, 900 parking spaces which is divided within a four story parking levels. The building is situated on a 2, 800, 000 square feet center for customer service with 140 gas pumps and 30 washing bays complete with water recovery system. The facility is connected to the airport and the Gateway Center of Georgia International Convention Center. In interstate 85, a four-lane roadway had been constructed connecting Hartsfield-Jackson Rental Car Center towards the road network of the airport.

Holder/Moody/Bryson has been awarded the contract that will expand and renovate concourse D recently. With this project, there is going to be 60, 000 square feet of space, a couple of new escalators by the main level and Transportation Mall, three elevators linking the second to third levels, and expansion of a new retail outlets for food and beverage. The cost projection is said to be less than $37 million with target completion on the spring of 2014.

The ATL has two terminals used for checking-in and claiming of bags, this is the North and South Terminal. These two terminals are parts of a building wherein the building also has the Atrium that is used for open seating with conference rooms, bank, concessionaires, an inter-faith chapel, offices, ground transportation center and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA which is the airports own train station.

Meanwhile, a six parallel concourse building serves passengers when boarding. The first concourse is called Concourse T (Terminal) it is connected towards the main terminal. The other five concourses are positioned successively by distance after the terminal; these are concourses A, B, C, D and E. In 1994, Concourse E replaces Concourse T as an International terminal. This is also the time that the city is preparing for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

International Passengers who are arriving at ATL undergoes a security re-check after they have cleared themselves with customs. This is because of the flaws in design which guides the passengers to the concourse when they should be lead to the lobby of the main terminal. All concourses are connected through an underground Transportation Mall that starts from the main terminal and crosses under the center of all concourses.

On the other hand, the Transportation Mall also features automated people mover. This is an addition to the pedestrian walkway that includes moving walkways that connects the concourses. This automated people mover situates a station by the end of main terminal serving passengers who are cleared with the security screening and intends to enter the Transportation Mall. There is one station for each concourse serving passengers.

In August of 2010, this automated people mover had been named as The Plain Train.

The top airline companies serving ATL for International Flights: American Airlines, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Continental Airlines, Spirit Airlines, GeorgiaSkies, United Airlines, and US Airways.

Domestic Flights are carried by Chautauqua Airlines, Express Jet Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Compass Airlines, ComAir, Pinnacle Airlines, Shuttle America, Mesaba Airlines, Express Jet Airlines, Shuttle America, Skywest Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Mesa Airlines, American Eagle, Mesa Airlines and Republic Airlines.

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport also provides charter services with the Omni Air International, Ryan International, and World Airways. Also, ATLK airport has foreign flag airlines that include Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa German Airlines.

Although the airport is tagged as the World’s busiest airport, its officials are doing its best to provide the passengers with all their needs. There are dining and shopping areas within the airport plus the needs for ground transportation and easy access to the city had been arranged. While you are coming across a number of people in the airport, your personal needs is the airlines top priority.

The Air Transport Association (IATA) code for Atlanta Airport is ATL. Atlanta Airport is also identified as Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International We have provided the GPS location for Atlanta airport which are as follows 33.63667, -84.42806 to help either your arrival directions to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International or perhaps give you directions from Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport to your chosen destination.

Please find below a selection of Airlines, Destination and approx flight times from Atlanta Airport.

Delta Air Lines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and KLM are the three busiest Airlines that fly out of Atlanta Airport; together they cover around 448 routes out of the total of 233. The busiest which is Delta Air Lines covers a total of 6,607 flights per week out of Atlanta Airport and goes to 213 destinations. Of all the destinations from Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International, Delta Air Lines covers 35%. Delta Air Lines airline offers flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, La Guardia, Orlando International, Tampa International, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Fort Lauderdale/hollywood International among others.

You can see below a selection of nonstop flights covered from Atlanta Airport with approximate times

Many popular hire car companies are located at Atlanta airport and are situated either in the Arrivals lounge or very close by. Please bring your valid driving licence and credit card if your require a hire car on your trip to Atlanta Airport. With so much choice of car rental at Atlanta airport it may be wise to book online before you arrive as there is limited choice of vehicles at certain times of the year.