Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) – #1 Busiest Airport in US

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Overview

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) has held the title for the busiest airport in the world in terms of passengers since 1998, as well as the busiest for operations (which includes landings and take-offs) since 2005, when it overtook Chicago O’Hare.

In 2011, Hartsfield Jackson served 92 million

passengers on 923,991 flights. Though it is an international airport serving every region of the world, Atlanta is a hub for the Southeast United States, and most of its flights are domestic. Atlanta is a convenient location for an airport because it situated within a two-hour flight of 80% of the U.S. population.

Hartsfield-Jackson is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines (ExpressJet) and AirTran Airways, as well as a focus city for Southwest Airlines. These airlines have brought the majority of traffic to Hartsfield-Jackson, helping make it one of the busiest airports in the world. More than fifteen airlines serve Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The airport expects to continue increasing these numbers in the future, and is currently expanding its facilities to meet demand. A fifth runway was added in 2006, the latest people mover system, the ATL SkyTrain opened in 2009, and a new international terminal opens in 2012, complete with its own parking lot.

These features are intended to improve passenger flow through the airport, reducing check-in and wait times, and making travel go more smoothly. In 2011, Hartsfield-Jackson was named the world’s most efficient airport by the Air Transport Research Society.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport serves 150 destinations in the United States and 75 destinations in 50 different countries internationally. Each day, over 2,000 arrivals and departures bring about 250,000 passengers through ATL.

Airport Services

Wi-Fi: Hartsfield-Jackson airport does have Wi-Fi for its passengers, but the service is not free. Several carrier services are available around the airport with their own charges

Shopping and dining: ATL offers over 200 options for concessions around the airport, in a wide variety of flavors, including local specialties like Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. Shops to meet every need are also found, from duty-free shops, clothing, and jewelry to travel aids and forgotten items.

Extras: ATL’s Trak-a-Line, which sends notifications to let passengers know approximately how long their wait will be for any given flight, is one of the high-tech features available to passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson. The high traffic of this airport has pushed it to become one of the most efficient airports in the country.

Ground Transportation

Within the airport, the Plane Train is an Automated People Mover (APM) that connects the six concourses with the terminal, with trains arriving every few minutes. The train also connects passengers to the Rental Car Center, and the Georgia International Convention Center.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Rental Car Center, which was recently constructed starting in 2006, houses 13 rental car companies that serve airport passengers.

Aside from rental cars, passengers whose final destination is Atlanta can choose from several options to travel from the airport into the city. Several hotels offer shuttle bus service, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MARTA) offers bus service directly to the airport, picking up passengers outside of baggage claim.

Chartered buses, limos, and taxis are also available from ATL, and the airport is located just a quick 10 mile drive from downtown Atlanta.