Hurricane Helene will halt flights, causing a domino effect of delays
With Hurricane Helene barrelling towards the coastal U.S., flights will be cancelled and delayed across North America and worldwide
What’s the busiest airport in the world?
With over 100 million annual passengers, it’s the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. At nearly 2000 hectares in size, it’s responsible for moving 286,000 passengers daily on thousands of flights to over 225 destinations worldwide.
This hub airport is a critical component of the aviation world and is a vital hub that concentrates passenger traffic and flight operations. You know the Atlanta airport is a frequent stop-over if you've frequently travelled.
The hub-spoke model pioneered by the Atlanta airport is incredibly efficient but has an Achilles heel - specifically when adverse weather impacts the hub.
Hurricane Helene is forecast to make landfall late Thursday and move inland. This will cause delays at all major airports in the U.S., triggering a domino effect of delays and cancellations around North America and abroad.
SEE ALSO: Hurricane Helene 'life-threatening' storm surge could reach upwards of 6 metres
The greatest threats inland swirl around the state of Georgia, where intense tropical rainfall will threaten locally over 300 mm of rainfall, with wind gusts over 120 km/h across the state.
Millions of people will likely lose power, and restoration in some cases will likely take longer than a week.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for more forecast updates for Hurricane Helene.
