Atlanta airport emptied

ATLANTA, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Hartsfield International Airport was evacuated and flights were blocked from departing on Friday after a possible breach of a security checkpoint.

Passengers, including some who were taken off of planes that were preparing to depart, were evacuated from the airport's five concourses. Thousands of people waited calmly outside the airport's terminal building.

Delta Air Lines said arriving flights were being held in the air or diverted to other airports. A spokesman for the airline said departing flights were delayed after a man fled a security checkpoint.

"Right now, nothing is coming in or going out. I would say it's going to disrupt passengers' plans this afternoon," AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said. He said 12 AirTran flights were diverted to other cities.

The airport's public-address system mentioned a "code orange" security alert, indicating that security had been stepped up.

Local television stations reported that a man had fled security after a possible weapon was detected in his hand luggage. However, Atlanta Police Chief Beverly Harvard said no gun was involved in the incident.