Cobb Expects 700 Percent Super Bowl Increase In Airport Traffic

MARIETTA, GA -- Cobb County leaders are expecting many of the thousands of people coming to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII to either fly into and out off, and stay in the county. A full house is expected at the Cobb County International Airport, where incoming aircraft will take up every available inch of tarmac space on McCollum Field. More than 200 jets are expected to fly into the airport, increasing the traffic by over 700% during the five-day period.

Airport officials unveiled a new welcoming banner on the tower last week; a kiosk with Cobb County information is in the visitor's terminal; and a hospitality suite will take over the entire Elevation Chophouse for the weekend. Airport Director Karl Von Hagel said the matchup of Los Angeles vs New England means larger jets will be flying in to his airport. Finding spots for all of them will be “a tremendous challenge involving lots of game-time decisions.”

READ MORE: Atlanta Airport Sees Delays Due To Worker Shortage

AND: PDK Air Traffic Increasing As Super Bowl Nears

PLUS: Delta, Southwest Adding More Flights For Super Bowl LIII

The only NFL-sanctioned event outside of Atlanta will take place at the Cobb Galleria Centre on February 2. Taste of the NFL’s“Party with a Purpose" will feature chef and player representatives from each of the 32 NFL cities and benefit the food banks in these communities, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

The NFL has booked rooms in 20 Cobb hotels, representing over 8,000 room nights. All other hotel rooms are expected to be booked for the weekend.

With many Super Bowl-related events scheduled in the Battery Atlanta and the Cumberland area, Cobb police have adjusted schedules to increase presence in the area and will institute game-day response and traffic plans. Cobb's emergency operations center will be open before, during, and after the game to facilitate communication between Cobb and Atlanta agencies.

CobbLinc will assist MARTA in transporting fans around the Super Bowl venue and has set up special service on Super Bowl Sunday to shuttle fans from three Cobb County locations into Atlanta. They have also adjusted Express Bus routes to deal with road closures near the venue.

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