About 110,000 passengers are expected to depart from Atlanta's airport the day after Super Bowl LIIIGETTY IMAGES
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms believes the city's two years of planning for Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium have local officials "well-prepared to protect the public" despite any issues that may result from the government shutdown, according to Jeff Martin of the AP. Bottoms called the shutdown "uncharted territory," but said the city is "preparing as best we can." Bottoms: “There are factors that we don’t control such as what’s happening with our federal government shutdown and with the long TSA lines. We are continuing to encourage people to get to the airport very early.” Martin noted around 110,000 passengers are "expected to be departing from Atlanta's airport the day after the Feb. 3 game. That comes after a "chaotic scene unfolded" at the airport Monday, the "first business day after screeners did not receive a paycheck for the first time." Atlanta passengers "led the nation Monday in terms of longest screening delays" (AP, 1/16).
