Delta Plane Parking: ATL North Ramp Near Renaissance
 

Curious: I am in and out of Atlanta approx 2 times a week. I always notice Delta planes parked on the north ramp directly in front of the Renaissance Hotel. Its not the maintenance hanger that is on the end where Terminal F is. It looks just like a place to park airplanes. However, there are usually a few Fed Ex or UPS planes scattered on the same ramp.

Is this just a place to park the planes between flights until a gate is ready?
Is this where they load some cargo? I would assume that would be done at the gate, but i may be wrong.

Im just curious what that area of the airport is used for.

Those are usually planes that are going into or coming out of maintenance. In addition to the large hanger near the international terminal, Delta bought the smaller North hangar from Airtran several years ago. You are correct... they will generally load cargo at the gate along with passengers since Delta does not operate any exclusive cargo flights.

ok thanks! That makes sense. It just always catches my eye. Usually a few mad dogs, a 737 or two and then a ginormous 777 thrown in!! Ive always wanted to stay at the renaissance and check out the views it must have.

I'd concur with Adam.

Having stayed a few times at the Ren, I've noticed engine fairings open and stairways to boarding doors with occasional crew (assumedly maintenance) milling around and about the planes. Assumed not major issues, but stuff that doesn't require a hanger to finish.

If you stay at the Renaissance, they actually have an "Aviator Package" or something similar. IIRC it guarantees a balcony room side with a good view of the ramps/runways on that side, a "planespotting" guide, and some sort of trinket (like plastic flight crew wings or something).

I'm pretty sure it's meant for kids, but Mrs. Lee and I quite enjoyed it when we overnighted there before an early morning flight.

That area is also used for de-icing. But when that's not happening it's used for reasons stated above.

Its is for parking and light maintenance and cabin maintenance. ROD/RAD/ETOPS checks also. Generally stuff that doesn't need a hangar will be worked on over there.

and they just built the new de-icing tanks over there and will also be used for de-icing when needed.
and yes, cargo is done at the gates. However they will do some cabin cleaning over at mid-field

If you look behind the pad you will see a small(ish) red brick building next to the big blue expressjet hangar, that building is call mid-field support and it home base to some maintenance and ACS departments.

AA will also park a plane or two over there every now and then. IIRC they use at least one spot for RON parking.
not true. Delta doesn't currently have any hangars that aren't a part of TOC. In 2017 Delta will be moving some of its letter checks/PSVs currently in TOC1(the hangar with the "Fly Delta Jets" sign as it will be converted to the new state of the art engine shop for Roll Royce Trent 7000, Trent 1000 and Trent XWB engines) to the exSouthern/Northwest hangar on the south side of the field. It is also expected that at some point Delta will start work on a new 3-5 bay hangar where north cargo currently is as the exNW hangar is suspose to be torn down for more cargo space in the 2020s (Delta has a 10 year lease on the hangar)

Delta (pre-BK) used the ex-Eastern(now ExpressJet/ASA) hangar but it was given up in BK when the company outsourced all of its overhauls (along with the Tampa and Dallas hangars).
It sounds like DL is trying to get at least a bay or two from EV/OO possible for the 757 checks that will be displaced by converting TOC1 into the engine shop, but DL also feels they can fit those checks into TOC2.

Delta doesn't own any hangar that belonged to AirTran. That hangar (the big tent hangar in front of the ASA/ExpressJet hangar) has always been Airtran and now Southwest.