At 2:05 p.m. on May 16, a Delta Air Lines flight from Dublin will bring the first group of passengers through the Atlanta airport's new international terminal.
The inaugural arrival will come just a few hours after the $1.4 billion building opens to the public.
The flight from Ireland will be greeted with a water-cannon salute, a traditional welcome for milestone flights. Arriving passengers will be processed through a new customs area with large screens mounted above 40 passport lines.
The area also includes more Global Entry kiosks, allowing pre-screened passengers to skip the customs counter and head straight to baggage claim. Passengers previously had to recheck their bags after customs, picking them up again before leaving the airport. The new terminal eliminates this process.
Just before the Ireland flight touches down, the first plane boarded through the new terminal will head to Tokyo-Narita. That Delta flight takes off at 1:25 p.m.
Delta occupies the majority of the gate space at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The new international terminal, or Concourse F, provides 12 new gates, joining with Concourse E to form a 40-gate international complex.
Visit www.atlanta-airport.com/internationalterminal for more information.
