- Airport history
- Airport structure
- How to get from the airport to the city
- Passenger services
As a rule, it is advisable for passengers to be at any airport two hours before the departure of the plane. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to comply with this rule. If the flight departs from a small airport, then all the necessary formalities can be completed quickly and catch the plane. If the departure point is a huge airport, for example, Hartsfield Jackson in Atlanta, then even two hours for registration and travel to your gate will not be enough. Hartsfield Jackson Airport is the second longest airport in the world. The distance between the check-in counters and the farthest gate is 2.1 km.
There is another record on the account of the international airport of the American Atlanta. This air hub is the busiest not only in North America, but throughout the world. It is considered their main hub by several American air carriers at once. The airport receives about 90 million passengers annually. It serves both domestic and international flights. From here you can fly to four continents.
Hartsfield Jackson Airport is located on the territory, which is divided among themselves by three cities - Atlanta and two small towns of East Point and Hapville.
Airport history
Atlanta Airport was founded in 1925 at the initiative of Mayor W. Sims. After just 5 years of operation, that is, in 1930, the airfield sent 16 flights daily and was considered the third busiest in the country after the airports in New York and Chicago. In 1940-1945 it was turned into a military base and in the same period it was expanded and modernized. Its area has been doubled. In 1956, the first international flight to Montreal was made from Atlanta Airport.
In 1980, a new terminal was built on a 23 hectare site, which can handle 55 million passengers annually. It was named after Mayor WB Hartsfield. The fifth runway increased the airport's capacity from 184 to 237 take-offs and landings per hour.
In 2003, the name of the airport was expanded. It was now called Hartsfield Jackson Airport. The second part of the name glorifies the deceased mayor of the city M. Jackson.
By 2015, the airport began to receive 121 million passengers annually.
Airport structure
The Hartsfield Jackson Airport complex covers an area of 0.54 km2. and consists of:
- flight observation towers, the height of which is 121 m;
- five parallel concrete runways facing west-east;
- a domestic terminal with five sub-terminals A, B, C, D and T, which is located in the western part of the airport complex. This terminal is divided into two parts - north and south. Between them is the Atrium - an open-air area;
- the terminal for international flights with halls E and F, built in the eastern zone of the airport;
- railway station.
To move between the sub-terminals, which are located parallel to each other, you can use underground passages or special shuttles that run in a circle, starting from the main terminal T.
How to get from the airport to the city
Unlike other airports, Atlanta Airfield does not offer very many options for how to get from the terminals to the city center. This is probably due to the fact that most passengers prefer to travel in rented cars.
For those who do not have an international license or simply do not know how to drive a car, we can recommend getting to Atlanta in this way:
- by metro MARTA. A very convenient way to travel, as in just 20-30 minutes the train will deliver passengers to the station in the city center. The MARTA platform is located in the Atrium;
- on buses. You can get to the bus stops from the domestic terminal. The bus fare is the same as for the metro. This type of transport takes you to the city in half an hour;
- by taxi. A car will get to Atlanta faster than a train or bus. In about 20 minutes you can be near your hotel. The fare will be about $ 30.
Passenger services
The huge Atlanta airport has enough space to accommodate the offices of various companies and various institutions designed to entertain and occupy the free time of passengers. These include stores that offer a wide range of products. There are bookstores, perfumery, jewelry pavilions, souvenir shops, a supermarket and much more. In between flights, you can have a great time in one of the local cafes or restaurants serving dishes of all world cuisines.
The airport has a large parking lot for 31 thousand spaces. the car can be left for both long and short periods.
If a passenger gets lost at the airport or has any question, he can contact the administrator at the information desk. There are bank branches and currency exchange offices in the airport lounges. You can sit in silence while offering prayer in the local chapel. In case of injury, you can go to the first-aid post. Special cameras are provided for storing luggage. There is also a bureau where you can submit a claim for lost baggage.
