Outage paralyses Atlanta airport
Hundreds of flights cancelled; thousands left stranded for about 11 hours
The world's busiest airport in the US city of Atlanta was slowly resuming normal operations yesterday after a power cut stranded thousands of passengers and unleashed a storm of criticism.
With electricity out for about 11 hours, some passengers were unable to disembark from their planes after landing, while those already inside the terminal crowded the darkened concourses where even some water fountains had reportedly stopped working.
"We all understand that Snafus happen and most of the folks down here are doing their jobs to the best of their ability," tweeted Anthony Foxx, a former transportation secretary under president Barack Obama who was stranded for several hours in his plane.
"But, whatever the cause, it feels like this one was compounded by confusion and poor communication."
US carrier Delta, whose largest hub is in the southern city, said it expected 300 more flight cancellations, mostly morning arrivals, "to give the operation there an opportunity to more quickly return to normal."