Weeks out from the first match, private jet traffic isn’t yet shaping up to be as immense as airports had been told to prepare for. But that could change.
A screen marks the “From Gates to Goals” exhibit celebrating the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s international terminal in Atlanta on May 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Metro Atlanta’s general aviation airports have been preparing for the FIFA World Cup for years.
There was talk that the eight local matches would amount to “eight Super Bowls,” said Hunter Hines, director at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Chamblee.
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A traveler looks at the “From Gates to Goals” exhibit celebrating the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s international terminal in Atlanta on May 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Too early for private travelers
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The Fulton County Executive Airport in Atlanta. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC 2024)
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A sign marks the “From Gates to Goals” exhibit celebrating the upcoming FIFA World Cup at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s international terminal in Atlanta on May 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Contingency plans in place
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As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
