23-05-2025
Inside ATL's 24/7 emergency ops center as summer travel season takes off
The Brief
More than 2.6 million passengers are projected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during the Memorial Day travel period.
FOX 5 got a look at the airport's emergency operations hub, which monitors over 3,600 cameras and handles 911 calls, emergencies, and safety issues around the clock.
Airport officials say they are fully prepared for the summer surge, with emergency teams on standby and a focus on maintaining situational awareness across ATL's terminals and runways.
ATLANTA - Officials are preparing for another potentially record-breaking start to summer at airports like Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
More than 2.6 million people are expected to move through the airport over the next week.
FOX 5 got a look inside the airport's operations center, where emergency dispatchers answer 911 calls and handle issues as they arise.
What we know
As the airlines work full throttle to get planes and passengers moving, emergency dispatchers are on the clock at the airport's operations center.
They are the eyes and ears of the world's busiest airport. The team is ready for 911 calls, emergencies, safety issues, and everything in between.
"They're trying to help a lady find her phone," one dispatcher said.
The airport's operations center monitors more than 3,600 cameras that cover ATL's nearly 200 gates and five runways, 24/7, 365 days a year.
What they're saying
"It gives us that full situational awareness of everything that's happening around the airport, so we can ensure that we can handle the mass number of people that will come to the airport this week," said Gus Hudson, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's Assistant General Manager of Emergency Management.
Hudson oversees this facility and the dozens of people who work there.
"We always have something, whether it's an emergency call or a routine call, something is always happening around the airport, and calls are always coming into here," he said.
Last year, this operations center handled 911 calls just moments after an incident at Delta's maintenance facility. Two employees died and a third was injured. The team scrambled to dispatch crews as more 911 calls poured in.
Hudson says each day is different, but the ops center stands ready. With the summer travel season now here, they're prepared for what's to come.
"Safety is our primary responsibility at the airport, and it starts here," Hudson said.
What Passengers Are Saying
As the airport works to keep people safe, passengers are ready to get out and enjoy the holiday.
"I'm going to be just relaxing on the beach with some, like, sangria or something," said April Gatewood.
"We're super excited, we're going to Colombia, South America," said Norma Franco.
