Officials Say Reports of a Strong Natural Gas Smell Led to the Temporary Ground Stop

Operations are back on track at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) after a strong gas smell led to a temporary evacuation of its air traffic control tower. A ground stop was in place while the controllers set up shop in a secondary location.

The FAA confirmed that the fire alarm was triggered around 5 pm ET, bringing operations to an immediate halt at what is typically the busiest airport in the world. Pilots were left holding short or circling while the controllers filed out. One flight managed to land “uncontrolled,” while others waited on taxiways or diverted elsewhere. For 41 minutes, no takeoffs occurred, and only a handful of planes were allowed to land.

ATC audio captured controllers calmly announcing their exit. “We’re evacuating, so we are going ATC Zero,” one said to a pilot. Another, still managing to direct a taxi route, added, “Everyone’s going downstairs, so we’ll see what’s happening here.” The response to this in the cockpit was likely not so calm.

The FAA activated a secondary air traffic control location while firefighters investigated the odor. Atlanta Fire Rescue determined the smell likely came from a natural gas leak near the tower, though no source was immediately confirmed. Just under an hour later, the all-clear was given and controllers were able to resume arrivals and departures. As expected, the ground stop caused widespread ripple effects through the national airspace system, including extensive flight delays across hundreds of flights.

The incident comes as the ongoing government shutdown leaves air traffic controllers working without pay… which doesn’t give much motivation to show up for shifts. Staffing shortages have plagued several FAA facilities at major airports, though Atlanta is reportedly not on that list. Nashville, for example, was forced to go “ATC Zero” on October 7 as a result of unforeseen call-outs.

FMI: www.atl.com