ATLANTA – What was shaping up to be one of the busiest travel days ever at the world’s busiest airport hit a snag late Friday afternoon after the air traffic control tower was evacuated.
What we know:
According to the FAA, the tower at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was evacuated around 5 p.m. after a fire alarm and reports of a strong natural gas odor.
A ground stop was initially issued for all inbound flights through 6:15 p.m. but was lifted about 45 minutes later.
An FAA official told FOX 5’s Tyler Fingert that Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to investigate.
No injuries have been reported.
According to FlightAware.com, flight delays jumped from just over 280 to 360 during that time span. By the end of the night, the number of canceled flights nearly topped 600.
Ten flights were canceled for the day on Friday.
Sources told FOX 5’s Tyler Fingert that some flights were being diverted or were in a holding pattern. Radar images provided by FlightAware showed multiple flights circling near the Georgia line from various approach vectors.
Firefighter said no gas was found in the tower.
The backstory:
The Transportation Security Administration said roughly 114,000 passengers were expected to be screened in Atlanta, possibly surpassing the previous record set in May. By midday, more than 57,000 passengers had already passed through security checkpoints.
The government shutdown is starting to impact air travel as call-outs at air traffic control towers are causing flight delays and cancellations.
Sean Duffy, US secretary of transportation, during a news conference in Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, US, on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Increase in air traffic controllers sick calls
Big picture view:
During a press conference Monday in New Jersey, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said they have seen an increase in sick calls among air traffic controllers who are not being paid during the shutdown but are expected to work.
“In a job that’s already stressful, this shutdown has put way more stress on our controllers,” said Duffy. “So we’re tracking sick calls, sick leave, and we had a slight tick up in sick calls, yes. And then you’ll see delays that come from that.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) represents some 20,000 air traffic controllers and posted a message on its website for its members to remain dedicated.
Airlines raised concerns about shutdown
At the end of September, Modern Skies Coalition, — which includes Airlines for America, the trade group for United, Delta, American, Southwest and other carriers — along with airports, pilots, controllers and manufacturers, sent a letter to Congress warning that a government shutdown would disrupt air travel, put safety at risk, and delay modernization efforts of the nation’s air traffic control system.
“Government shutdowns harm the U.S. economy and degrade the redundancies and margins of safety that our National Airspace System (NAS) is built upon,” the group wrote. “In fact, short-term shutdowns of just a few days, or even threatened shutdowns that are averted in the eleventh hour negatively affect the NAS and the traveling public.”
A TSA agent checks passengers’ identity documents at a security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport on the first day of the US government shut down in Arlington, Virginia, on October 1, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by AND
TSA officers working without pay
Transportation Security Administration officers are among the thousands of federal workers who are required to work without pay during the government shutdown.
Nationally, about 50,000 TSA agents, who fall under the Department of Homeland Security, are working without compensation during the shutdown.
The agency posted on X that they are prepared and ask for travelers to be patient.
While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time.
TSA screens record number of travelers over Labor Day weekend
Over the Labor Day weekend, TSA screened a record number of passengers nationwide, with Friday marking one of the busiest travel days in the agency’s history. Approximately 10.4 million travelers flooded airports from Friday through Monday, marking a 3.3% jump over the same four-day period in 2024.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from FOX Business and The Points Guy website. This story was reported from Orlando.
A passenger checks his bag size at an American Airlines lobby bag sizer. The airline has removed bag sizers at its boarding gates across the U.S. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
American Airlines on Monday removed bag sizers at its boarding gates across the U.S. meaning fliers won’t have to squeeze their bags inside the metal contraptions to make sure their bag will fit in the overhead compartment. The change was first reported by View From The Wing, who obtained an internal memo sent to American Airlines employees.
Why American Airlines removed bag checkers at airport gates
Dig deeper:
In a Sept. 30 memo to its customer care team members, American Airlines said the change is part of their process to improve customer experience and reduce baggage checking at the gates. The airline is encouraging team members working in the lobby areas to identify oversized bags and check them when necessary.
American Airlines carry-on bag policy
Personal items
Your personal item like a purse or small handbag must fit under the seat in front of you. Dimensions should not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm).
These don’t count as your personal item or carry-on:
Diaper bags (1 per child)
Breast pump
Small, soft-sided cooler of breast milk
Child safety seats, strollers and medical or mobility devices
Carry-on items
You can bring only one carry-on item along with your personal item. Your carry-on must fit in in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. If it doesn’t fit, it will need to be checked. Be sure all your carry-on items are labeled in case they are checked.
Some airports and planes may have additional carry-on restrictions.
Carry-on bag
The total size of your carry-on, including the handles and wheels, cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm) and must fit in the sizer at the airport.
Soft-sided garment bag
Your soft-sided garment bag cannot exceed 51 inches / 130 cm (length + width + height).
Musical instruments
Your musical instrument must fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.
The Source: Information in this article was sourced from The New York Post, View From The Wing, and American Airlines. This story was reported from Orlando.
The California Driving Tour Bundle includes Four Self-Guided Audio Tours for $19.99
HONOLULU, June 29, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Shaka Guide, the makers of Hawaii’s highest-rated travel apps, has released its new California Driving Tour Bundle with four full-day audio driving tours for $19.99. These tours include Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Lake Tahoe.
“California has some of the country’s most breathtaking and diverse scenery,” says Andrew Fowers, Shaka Guide’s CEO and Co-Founder. “From the desert landscapes of Death Valley to the towering granite monoliths of Yosemite, we’re excited to share our in-depth audio tours with travelers so they can connect with these places in a completely new way.”
The California Driving Tour Bundle comes at the heels of the brand’s most recent tour launches — Death Valley, Yosemite, and Tahoe. Each tour was released this month. With the summer travel season in full swing, Shaka Guide is hoping to be a part of visitors’ California road trips by providing them with a more enriching experience in these places.
In 2022, California saw over 38 million visitors to its NPS sites, according to the National Park Service’s website. Of those visitors, over 7 million visited the three National Parks in Shaka Guide’s California Driving Tour Bundle. And Tahoe, which is not a national park, sees approximately 15 million visitors annually.
With this sheer volume of visitors there are real concerns about destination management. “Our app provides travelers with expert information when they’re in the destination about to visit a site,” says Andrew. “This means we have the ability to provide safety information, sustainable ways to visit these parks, historically accurate stories, and address local sentiment in the moment — this is a really powerful tool for ensuring that visitors are equipped to travel responsibly.”
With Shaka Guide this kind of information is woven together naturally with entertaining audio stories. You don’t just visit these spots, you get handcrafted stories about the locations you’re visiting. The company was founded with the mission to connect people with places through storytelling. As an example, in Shaka Guide’s Yosemite National Park Tour you’ll hear a 38-minute story about John Muir, who is considered the Father of our National Parks, including how he convinced Teddy Roosevelt to turn Yosemite into a national park.
The current California Driving Tour Bundle will be updated throughout the year as Shaka Guide plans to launch tours for all nine California National Parks by 2024.
“We fundamentally believe that connected travelers are responsible travelers,” adds Andrew. “We hope that by creating meaningful experiences and sharing stories people will leave these places better than they found them.”
To access the California Driving Tour Bundle download the Shaka Guide app from the App Store or Google Play or purchase on www.shakaguide.com.
