Passengers at Atlanta airport begin to feel holiday traveling blues

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Those traveling for the holiday season are already facing problems at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

A Channel 2 Action News viewer shared a video taken early Saturday morning showing long lines of travelers well past the security checkpoint and into the hallways and main airport lobby.

Airport officials previously told Channel 2 Action News that they expect to host an estimated 3.3 million passengers during the holiday season.

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WSB Tonight’s Veronica Griffin was at the airport Saturday night, where she still saw many travelers checking in for their flights - while others were trying to navigate the crowd.

In the past, airport officials advised travelers to plan on standing in line due to the high travel volume for the holiday season.

Maricela Iraheta’s family arrived close to 4 hours ahead of their flight.

“Our flight is at 8:00 p.m.; we got here around three,” Iraheta said.

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Like some other travelers, they are taking things all in stride, saying long lines are expected during the holidays.

“It’s busy. It’s very busy, but it’s moving smoothly. People seem to be working together and just generally wanting to get where they want to go, and I don’t see any trouble.” traveler Aaron West said.

Channel 2 Action News contacted airport officials for a response regarding long wait times but did not receive a response.

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