summary
- A plane train breakdown at the Atlanta airport caused significant delays and forced passengers to walk between the terminal and concourse.
- Limited train service reduced passenger traffic, affecting both departures and arrivals throughout the day.
- Airports rely heavily on automatic personnel movement equipment (APM), but relying on a single maintenance company poses risks and can lead to costly failures down the road.
The plane train caused significant delays at the world’s largest airport by passenger numbers. A passenger train at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) broke down early Friday morning, forcing passengers to walk between concourses. Airport authorities announced that trains would run on a limited basis throughout the day. Both departing and arriving flights were affected.
airplane train breakdown
ATL’s airport train broke down around 5 a.m. local time on Friday. Airport authorities sent engineers and maintenance personnel to make repairs. The airport posted about the train service changes on its social media accounts. As a result, both departing and arriving passengers had to walk between the terminal and the concourse to get to their departure or transfer gates.
Passenger movement within the terminal was slow due to limited train service. ATL Airport posted on Twitter shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time.
Airplane trains have changed their schedules and are operating on a limited basis. Technicians are on site and repairs are underway. Please be patient as wait times can be long and vary. Please plan ahead to account for this delay and allow enough time to catch your flight.
The number of passengers at the airport on Friday and long lines at security checkpoints added to the delays. The airport corridor has become noticeably congested with bottlenecks occurring at several entry points. The delays affected both departing and arriving flights, especially during peak hours on Friday. Trains operated on a modified schedule for most of the day.
Delays spilled over into evening flights, even during off-peak hours. Flight data from FlightView showed that more than 10% of departing flights were delayed as of approximately 22:00 local time. Additionally, approximately 20% of arrivals face delays at the airport. Although it is difficult to attribute all delays to train defects, limited train service at the world’s busiest airport had a significant impact.
ATL airplane train
The ATL Airport Automatic Personnel Movers (APM) is the most frequently used intra-airport transport aircraft in the world. APM is manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Corporation and opened in 1980. APM operates 24/7 between six airport concourses and two domestic terminals. This train operates on two underground tracks and safely transports millions of passengers each year.
During peak flight times at the airport, up to 11 four-car trains travel in both directions. In addition to being the world’s largest hub for Delta Air Lines, ATL is also a focal point for low-cost airlines such as Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. The world’s busiest airport based on passenger numbers relies heavily on APM to minimize terminal bottlenecks and delays. This airport served approximately 94 million passengers in 2022. Passenger numbers will only increase as a new dedicated terminal is added next month.
Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.
The airport relies on only one maintenance company to maintain and repair its trains and its systems. The airport has come under heavy criticism after a recent city audit revealed dodgy maintenance contracts, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The scope of the current problems with the trains is unknown, but similar failures in the future could result in significant losses for airports and airlines.
What do you think about delays due to defective planes at Atlanta Airport? Let us know in the comments section.