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Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport Sees Many Cancellations but Fans Not Deterred by Expected Snowstorm

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There has yet to be much of snow -- much snow falling here in Atlanta and yet nearly half the flights in and out of Hartsfield Airport have been canceled. Delta Airlines, which is based at Hartsfield, says the action was mostly precautionary.

CNN's Brian Cabell joins us now from Hartsfield. It's normally the busiest airport in the world, but Brian, I bet it's a lot quieter there today?

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's not all that crowded, here. We thought it would be extremely crowded, but because of the cancellations we have really not seen all that much traffic. We've had cancellations in the Atlanta area from school; they canceled school because we thought we we'd have snow on the ground already, today. We've had cancellations here at Hartsfield International because Delta thought there would be some problems.

We talked to Delta a while ago about these cancellations. They canceled about 300 of 650 flights into and out of Hartsfield, today. They said, as you said, that it was precautionary, they didn't want people to be stranded in airports around the south and here in Atlanta, where, of course, the Super Bowl is being held, so there are no hotel rooms available.

A number of other airlines, we checked their boards, they don't seem to have nearly as many cancellations. We're trying to get a hold of them right now to find out what their plans are for the rest of the day.

Still, Super Bowl fans are coming in, today. We talked to a number of them. They're excited, and they're hoping that fellow fans from St. Louis and from Tennessee will be able to make it down here to Atlanta. Now, as for flights tomorrow into and out of Atlanta, those decision will be later on today.

We did talk to a couple of St. Louis fans, as we told you, and here's what they had to tell us:

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID FINKELSTEIN: We've been really fortunate in St. Louis with -- I mean, it's been cold but it's not like normal winter is, and I'm pretty used to the cold so, I mean, I think it will be kind of nice. I mean, I know Atlanta doesn't get this weather very often, so I think it's -- I think it's kind of funny that that happened right around Super Bowl time when everybody's trying to come here.

CABELL: What about you? Are you concerned about the cold weather?

ED FINKELSTEIN: Not concerned at all. We're too excited about what's going on. We'll take the storm, we'll take the sleet, we'll take the snow; it doesn't make a difference. We're going to the Super Bowl. There's nothing going to keep us away.

CABELL: Tell me again...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABELL: Well, the weather will get worse tomorrow for those St. Louis fans and all the other Super Bowl fans. We're told there will be some ice, there will be some sleet, maybe some snow, so it will get worse, but as long as they get here, as long as they fly in, they apparently will be very happy.

I'm Brian Cabell, CNN, live at Hartsfield International Airport.

KAGAN: And as long as their team wins. Thank you very much, Brian.

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