Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

America Under Attack: Atlanta Airport Operates at 5 Percent Capacity

Aired September 13, 2001 - 14:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: I want to go to Atlanta, the airport in Atlanta. CNN's Bonnie Anderson is there. Bonnie, are planes coming in, leaving Atlanta yet, or are they preparing to?

BONNIE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the airport is officially open, and I can tell you that the terminal behind me is hive of activity, but there are still very few planes coming in and out of Atlanta at this time. Literally thousands of passengers are lined up in front of the counters, trying to find out how they can leave, and more importantly when they can leave. Most of these people were stranded for at least two days, and for most of them, though, the answers to their question is not going to be a happy one. It does not appear that most of them will be leaving any time soon.

Now, to give you an idea, Delta, which is headquartered here and by far the largest carrier out of Atlanta, normally has 900 flights in and out daily. That's about 80 percent of all flights through Hartsfield. But they expect just a few to operate today, not even 5 percent of their normal schedule. They say they need to move planes around, they need to move crews around, so there will be, as I said, quite a few disappointed passengers by the end of the day.

Now, for that reason, airport managers are recommending that passengers call airlines before coming out to the airport -- not just here, but across the country.

We spoke with some of the flight crews and some of the passengers who have been stranded here for two days. They all say they are looking forward to getting home, and for some of them, looking forward to get back to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard. We have all been together. We stuck together, and the company has been there for us and made sure that we are OK, but we have all been there for each other, because this is what we have right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to go home, back to Orlando. So I heard that there was a flight out sooner than 10:10 tonight's, so I'm here to do that.

ANDERSON: Has the delay discouraged you, made you angry? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Makes me not want to fly again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Despite the delays, the remarkable theme we are hearing from many of the passengers that they are not feeling inconvenienced, they are not angry at the delays. They are angry at what happened in New York and in Washington, D.C., and they understand the delays here were for their own safety.

So, Hartsfield is open, but right now very few planes going in and out. And at this point, it looks like it could be several days before the airlines are operating again at full capacity.

I'm Bonnie Anderson, CNN, reporting live. Back to you, Aaron.

BROWN: Bonnie, thank you. There are so many changes that have to be implemented in so many different places. Some of them involve main power, getting people to -- there used to be gates up to the front -- the air traffic situation is just going to be very difficult and very slow, even when it gets back online. And you need, if you are going to fly, to allow a lot of extra time. Someone told me yesterday, Mike Miller (ph), I think of "Aviation Daily," said allow for two hours even for a domestic flight.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com