Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has resumed normal operations after a power outage on Sunday afternoon caused a ground stop that left hundreds of flights canceled and tourists stranded.
In a statement released by the City of Atlanta on Sunday, Georgia Power said that they believe the outage involved a fire “which caused extensive damage in a Georgia Power underground electrical facility.”
“The fire was safely extinguished by fire crews before Georgia Power could enter the area to assess damage and begin repairs. The event impacted not only the underground facilities, but also substations serving the Airport and, while the cause is not yet known, Georgia Power’s system responded by isolating areas where equipment wasn’t operating correctly to ensure safety and minimize damage. No personnel or passengers were in danger at any time.”
Georgia Power in a statement
In a press conference Sunday night, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said that the intensity of the fire prevented the airport from activating the backup power supply.
