Hartsfield-Jackson restricts late-night access

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s domestic terminal atrium.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s domestic terminal atrium.

Hartsfield-Jackson International announced it will soon begin restricting access to the airport between the hours of 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

Starting March 2, the world’s busiest airport said access to the terminals, parking decks, SkyTrain and rental car center during that overnight period will be restricted to ticketed airline passengers; people meeting, accompanying or assisting passengers; and “authorized personnel.”

While airport officials have taken steps before to ask overnight visitors to show their boarding passes, the new policy comes amid a growing issue of homeless people sleeping in the Atlanta airport's domestic terminal overnight. Airport officials said the change is "a result of an increasing volume" of passengers and visitors, along with construction projects, and will allow overnight crews to thoroughly clean public areas.