Airline passengers stranded in Atlanta got a miracle of sorts on Sunday when Chick-fil-A, who is famously closed on the Sabbath, opened up to serve thousands of people at the airport. On Monday, Papa John’s is stepping to the plate.
Power is back after an outage Sunday that caused mass cancellations and backed up much of the air traffic in the Southeast. More than 1,100 flights were delayed, then canceled as the world’s busiest airport prepared for the biggest weekend of the holiday travel season.
“The mayor called about 10 p.m. and asked for assistance. We immediately mobilized staff and team members who live and work near the airport, and they are making sandwiches and delivering them to the EOC (emergency operations center),” Chick-fil-A spokesperson Jackie Jags told the AJC.
“It has been a very difficult day for thousands of travelers, and while Chick-fil-A is always closed on Sunday, our restaurants open occasionally to serve communities in need,” Jags said.
About 11 a.m. Monday, Papa John’s tweeted that “To help those stranded over the last 24 hours, we’ll be delivering pizzas to the airport today.”
On Facebook, Hartsfield Jackson Airport shared images of workers delivering Chick-fil-A to fliers. “LIGHTS ON and delivering food and water to our passengers! Thank you @dancathy with @ChickfilA for opening on a SUNDAY! #ChristmasMiracle”