Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (Atlanta, GA)

Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport is the worlds busiest so its important that you get to the airport in plenty of time for your flight. Aim to arrive 3 hours before an international flight and 2 hours for a domestic flight. ATL is at its busiest early Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, especially around holidays. Factor that into your travel plans. If at all possible avoid these flight times for shorter Atlanta Airport security wait times. A study by FinanceBuzz in 2018 ranked ATL as the 5th worst airport if you are running late. This was based on a combination of factors including footfall, average Atlanta Airport TSW wait times, number of connecting flights, and flights leaving from nearly 200 different gates.

What time does TSA open at Atlanta Airport?

- The main checkpoint in the domestic terminal is open 24/7.

- Domestic terminal North is open 4.15am to 10pm.

- Domestic terminal South is open 5.15am to 12am.

Bear in mind staffing levels and flight delays may impact scheduled opening times. You can view which TSA PreCheck lanes are open now in the table above. TSA PreCheck membership will mean greatly reduced Atlanta Airport wait times. To find out more about joining or renewing TSA PreCheck membership visit https://www.tsa.gov/precheck. For information on the enrolment center at ATL view here.

The Atlanta Airport wait times for non-US citizens arriving at ATL can be lengthy and should not come as a surprise given the volume of flights, in particular connecting flights, departing and arriving at the airport. For non-US citizens with connecting flights at ATL it is wise to provide yourself with a 3-hour window between flights to avoid missing the connection.