If you’re someone that travels often, being next to an airport can be a time saver.
Not only is there less worry about arriving late, but you also don’t have to wake up quite as early to make your security check.
The more airports that a city or state has, the more likely you are to live close to one.
If you’re in Atlanta, you may wonder just how many airports there are.
Here’s everything you need to know about Atlanta and its airports.
How Many Airports Are In Atlanta?
There are 12 airports in and around the Atlanta, Georgia metro area.
Of those airports, one of them is a major airport.
The major airport in Atlanta, Georgia is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
There are also several smaller or regional airports in Atlanta.
These include:
Considering the large number of airports in the area, you’re sure to never be too far from one airport or another.
How Far Is The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport From Downtown Atlanta?
If you’re in downtown Atlanta and you need to catch a flight, you may wonder how far the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is from you.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is only seven miles outside of downtown Atlanta.
It’s south of the major city.
The airport spans 4,700 acres and is 1,200 feet above sea level.
How Many Runways Does The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Have?
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has five runways.
Each one measures at least 9,000 feet long.
The airport also has a helipad.
The helipad has a length of 52 feet.
How Many Passengers Use The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Each Year?
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is extremely busy.
According to the Airports Council International, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest one in the world in the number of passengers.
In 2000, the airport served 80.16 million passengers.
By 2010, that number had increased to 89.33 million passengers.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic brought airports to a virtual standstill in 2020, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was seeing a huge number of passengers.
In 2019, it served 110.53 million passengers.
It dropped to second place for being the busiest airport in the world in 2020.
However, once lockdowns ended and people started traveling again, it took its place on top once more.
In 2021, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport served 75,704,760 passengers.
Although the airport still has some climbing to do to reach its former numbers, it still ranked in first place in 2021.
When Did The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport First Open?
Originally, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was an abandoned racetrack.
On April 16th, 1925, the mayor of Atlanta at that time, Walter A. Sims, took out a five-year lease.
He bought the land, which included 287 acres at that time.
Construction of landing strips and the airport terminals began shortly after.
A year later, the airport was ready for its first takeoff.
It occurred on September 15th, 1926.
The first plane to take off from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was a plane owned by Florida Airways.
It was responsible for delivering mail along the Tampa, Jacksonville, and Atlanta route.
Shortly after, another air carrier started using the airport.
This one was Pitcairn Aviation, which eventually became known as Eastern Airlines.
For a time, only mail carriers used the airport.
Wanting to make the airport more enticing to passenger airlines, the city of Atlanta bought more land.
They bought the land for $94,000 and changed the name from Candler Field to the Atlanta Municipal Airport.
Delta Air Service, which is what Delta Air Lines was first called, decided to try out the new airport.
They ran a trial service from Birmingham, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia.
This service started on June 12th, 1930.
The trial was a success, and Delta decided to make it an official route on the 18th of June.
When Did Delta Choose The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport As Its Headquarters?
One of the things that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has a reputation for is the fact that it’s home to Delta Air Lines.
The airline has its headquarters there and most of the airplanes coming in and out of the airport belong to Delta.
Considering the close relationship that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has with Delta, you may wonder when Delta decided to make the airport its new home.
Originally, Delta Air Lines had its headquarters in Monroe, Louisiana.
However, after the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport built a control tower in March 1939, the facility became much more attractive.
The United States government even called the airport an official airbase.
With this sort of legitimacy, it became a desirable airport from an investor’s point of view.
Delta got its start in 1928 as a fleet of planes devoted to crop-dusting.
At the time, many farmers were having problems with a pest known as the boll weevil.
In an effort to keep their crops clear of the pest, the company sprayed chemicals to kill them off.
In 1928, C.E. Woolman and several investors visited the company.
They had an interest in their planes and wanted to expand their services.
They bought the company and changed its name to Delta Air Service.
According to the Georgia Historical Society, they named their company after the Mississippi Delta where their headquarters were first based.
Delta began its passenger service in 1929, but it wasn’t until they got an airmail service going that they could offer their passengers decent prices on their services.
Delta also chose to take a gamble on the new Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
They launched a route from Alabama to Georgia and found it to be a profitable success.
In 1941, Delta moved its headquarters from Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia.
There, the company really started to thrive.
The location allowed the company to win some major routes like the Chicago-Miami route.
This route, and a few others, made Delta a major carrier in the United States.
Once Delta joined the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 1941, it was able to reach its full potential as an airline.
When Did Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Achieve Its First Record For Being The Busiest Airport In The World?
Although the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has consistently ranked as the country’s busiest airport in the past few decades, it wasn’t always the case.
Several other airports serviced more passengers than Atlanta.
However, that changed in 1942.
During that year, they were able to get 1,700 takeoffs and landings in a single day.
In 1948, the airport had moved past one million passengers.
How Did Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Get Its Name?
While many simply call the airport The Atlanta International Airport, its full name is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The first part of its name, Hartsfield, is from former Mayor William B. Hartsfield.
He died on February 22nd, 1971, and the airport was renamed after him.
For a while, it was simply known as the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport.
However, once the airport started taking on international trips to Mexico, they revised the name once more.
It became the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport instead.
The second part of the name, Jackson, was also named for a former mayor.
Former Mayor Maynard Jackson had also invested a great deal into the airport to make it as successful as it is today.
After he passed, the airport changed its name to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2003.
The name honored both of the mayors who had worked so hard to make the airport a success.
How Many Terminals and Concourses Are In The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport?
Considering how busy the airport is, you likely imagine that it has quite a few terminals, concourses, and gates.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has two terminals with seven concourses.
The total number of gates between the two terminals is 195.
The two terminals are separate from one another but a tunnel called the Transportation Mall connects the two.
There’s also a people-mover train that guests can use to easily move from one area to the next.
Throughout the concourses, you can find a few services available.
In particular, the main service provided throughout the airport is the Delta Sky Club.
Each concourse has its own Delta Sky Club.
Concourse T in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport also has the American Admiral’s Club and the United Club.
Concourse F has both the Delta Sky Club and The Club.
According to Delta, the Delta Sky Club is a members-only place to relax before your flight.
You’re able to get into the club three hours before your flight.
You have to show the concierge at the front your club membership pass to get inside.
Those who pay for a higher-tier membership can also have two guests with them.
The Delta Sky Club allows you a mostly-private area to do business or just relax.
It also serves food and cocktails.
It’s a quieter area of the airport which is ideal for those who want to sit back and relax or make some business calls.
Since there’s a club in each concourse, you’re sure to find one near your gate.
What Airlines Operate In The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport?
If you’re planning on using the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, then you may wonder what options you have when it comes to airlines.
There are both passenger and cargo airlines that operate out of the airport.
According to the Airports Data Net, the national carriers at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport include:
The international carriers at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport include:
The cargo carriers at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport include:
Clearly, many airlines use the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
This ensures that you have a large selection which might help you find a route within your budget.
What Are The Busiest Domestic Routes In The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport?
Considering how large and busy the airport is, you may wonder which routes are the busiest.
This can help you measure your expectations for either a relaxing trip or a crowded one.
The busiest domestic routes in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport include:
- Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Atlanta to Orlando, Florida
- Atlanta to Miami, Florida
- Atlanta to Denver, Colorado
- Atlanta to Tampa, Florida
- Atlanta to Los Angeles, California
- Atlanta to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
- Atlanta to Las Vegas, Nevada
- Atlanta to Detroit, Michigan
- Atlanta to Salt Lake City, Utah
The airlines that take care of those busy routes also differ.
The Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta to Orlando routes have Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit airlines covering them.
From Atlanta to Miami, American Airlines, Delta, and Frontier airlines cover the route.
If you’re taking the Atlanta to Denver or vice versa route, then Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Frontier, and United Airlines will take care of you.
The Atlanta to Tampa route has the Delta, Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier airlines ready to help you.
If you want to travel all the way to Los Angeles from Atlanta, you’ll be riding on either American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, or Spirit airlines.
The Atlanta to Dallas route has American Airlines, Delta, and Spirit airlines attached to it.
Delta, Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit airlines handle the Atlanta and Las Vegas route.
If you’re heading north to Michigan, then Delta and Spirit airlines will take care of the route.
Finally, if you’re on the Atlanta to Salt Lake City route, then Delta and Frontier airlines will cover the ride.
If you’re a fan of Delta Air Lines, you’ll have no problem finding a plane to one of the major cities in the United States.
For those looking for something more friendly to their budget, some of the routes also offer a few other options.
What Are The Busiest International Routes At The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport?
If you plan on flying internationally, then you may wonder what the busiest routes are at the Atlanta International Airport.
Here are some of the busiest international routes at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Atlanta to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, France
- Atlanta to Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Atlanta to Toronto-Pearson, Canada
- Atlanta to Cancun, Mexico
- Atlanta to London Heathrow, UK
- Atlanta to Seoul-Incheon, South Korea
- Atlanta to Mexico City, Mexico
- Atlanta to Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Atlanta to Nassau, Bahamas
- Atlanta to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Depending on which foreign country you want to visit, you have a few different choices for airlines.
To get to Paris from Atlanta, you can take either Air France or Delta.
The Atlanta-to-Netherlands route has either Delta or KLM as possible airlines to take.
If you want to fly to Toronto from Atlanta, then you can take Air Canada or Delta.
For your spring break trip to Cancun, Delta and Southwest have flights available.
Across the ocean to London, you can choose from British Airways, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic.
Delta and Korean airlines will take you from Atlanta to Seoul in South Korea.
If you prefer to go to Mexico City from Atlanta, then Delta and Southwest have planes headed there.
The Atlanta to Jamaica route is only served by Delta.
Delta also covers the routes from Atlanta to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
If you’re planning to fly internationally, you can count on the routes above to be the busiest.
Conclusion
There are several airports in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area.
The major airport in Atlanta is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
There are also several other regional airports throughout the Atlanta area.
