What you're seeing over Atlanta
If a jet is flying over Atlanta, there is a very good chance it is a Delta flight going into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport, about seven miles south of downtown, is Delta's main hub and one of the busiest passenger airports in the world. Its five parallel east-west runways handle a nearly constant flow of arrivals and departures from early morning until late at night.
Because the runways all run east-west, the whole operation flips with the wind. In west flow, the most common configuration, arrivals approach from the east over places like Forest Park, Morrow and south DeKalb, and departures climb out to the west over College Park and Fairburn before turning. In east flow it is the other way around. Downtown and Midtown, sitting north of the airport, mostly see aircraft at higher altitudes on downwind legs and transitions, with business jets heading to Peachtree-DeKalb and military aircraft at Dobbins adding to the mix. Watching the live map at the evening rush, when Delta's connecting bank lands and departs, is one of the best shows in US aviation. See our glossary for the terms you'll see.
Airports near Atlanta
- major hubATLHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
KATL · 8 miles south of downtown
Delta's main hub and one of the world's busiest airports, with five parallel east-west runways. Live traffic at ATL ↗ - relieverPDKDeKalb-Peachtree Airport
KPDK · 10 miles northeast of downtown
Georgia's second-busiest airport by operations, used heavily by business jets and flight schools. Live traffic at PDK ↗ - general aviationFTYFulton County Airport–Brown Field
KFTY · 8 miles west of downtown
A west-side airport with corporate jets and charter operators close to downtown. Live traffic at FTY ↗ - militaryMGEDobbins Air Reserve Base
KMGE · 14 miles northwest of downtown
An Air Force Reserve base in Marietta next to Lockheed Martin's plant, home to C-130s. Live traffic at MGE ↗ - general aviationLZUGwinnett County Airport–Briscoe Field
KLZU · 29 miles northeast of downtown
A general aviation field in Lawrenceville in the northeast suburbs. Live traffic at LZU ↗
Common traffic over Atlanta
Delta flies nearly every aircraft type in its fleet through Atlanta, from A321s and 737-900ERs to A350s and 767s on long-haul routes, plus large numbers of regional jets operated by Endeavor and other Delta Connection carriers. Southwest is the second-largest carrier, and Frontier, Spirit, American and United add more. International carriers bring widebodies from Europe and beyond.
How the flows work:
- West flow (the usual): arrivals line up east of the airport and land toward the west. Departures climb out over the western suburbs and turn toward their destinations.
- East flow: on days with east winds, arrivals come from the west, crossing places like Douglasville and Fairburn, and departures head east over Clayton and Henry counties.
Delta runs ATL in connecting banks, so you'll see waves of arrivals followed by waves of departures several times a day. Arrivals typically cross the outer suburbs at 10,000 to 12,000 feet before descending, which means north Atlanta neighborhoods see them at moderate altitudes rather than right on top of the roofs.
Cargo runs through ATL on freighters from several international carriers, plus FedEx and UPS. At Dobbins, the Air Force Reserve's 94th Airlift Wing flies C-130s, and Lockheed Martin's Marietta plant has built C-130Js, so you may see them in testing. Helicopters include police, Grady and other medevac services, and news helicopters during traffic jams on the Connector and I-285.
Aircraft you'll often see here
Boeing 737-900 / 737-900ER
narrowbody airliner
Airbus A321
narrowbody airliner
Boeing 737-800
narrowbody airliner
Bombardier CRJ900
regional jet
Embraer E175
regional jet
Airbus A350-900
long-haul widebody twin-jet
Boeing 767-300 / 767-300ER / 767-300F
widebody twin-jet
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
military tactical airlifter
Plane-spotting tips for Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson's best-known public spot is the area around the end of the runways near Delta's TechOps facility and the Delta Flight Museum, where you can learn the history before watching the real thing. In south Atlanta, the parks and roads around the airport edges in Hapeville and College Park give views of arrivals in east flow. At PDK, the restaurant on the field has long been a favorite for watching business jets. From downtown or Midtown, look south to see the arrival lines form. Atlanta's summer afternoon thunderstorms can cause long delays and holding patterns, which show up nicely on the live map.
Atlanta sky questions
Which way is Atlanta's airport landing today?
Hartsfield-Jackson usually operates in west flow, landing toward the west, because prevailing winds favor it. When winds shift to the east, the airport switches and arrivals come in from the west side.
Why are so many planes flying at the same time?
Delta schedules its Atlanta flights in connecting banks, so many arrivals land within a short window, followed by a wave of departures. That creates clear rush hours several times a day.
What are the military planes near Marietta?
They are usually C-130s from the Air Force Reserve's 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, or aircraft at Lockheed Martin's adjacent Marietta plant.
Nearby cities
Planes over Birmingham (140 mi) · Planes over Nashville (215 mi) · Planes over Charlotte (226 mi) · Planes over Jacksonville (285 mi)