Travelers find flights canceled or delayed

Despite an airline industry pledge of a renewed focus on reliability, travelers endured chaotic days of travel over the holiday weekend, when more than 5,000 flights were canceled and nearly 30,000 were delayed since Thursday.

Among those caught in this latest round of disruptions: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ended up driving to New York after his flight from Washington was canceled Friday. The cancellation of Buttigieg’s flight came one day after he met with airline executives about their preparations for the busy summer travel season.

The problems over the Juneteenth and Father’s Day weekend came as the Transportation Security Administration reported more than 2.4 million people were screened at U.S. airports Friday, the busiest day since Thanksgiving weekend. The growth in travel demand is coming as airlines are struggling with staffing shortages and decreasing their flight schedules, meaning there are fewer options to fix travel problems when they arise.

The first signs of trouble came Thursday, when 1,700 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled and more than 8,400 were delayed, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

Among the hardest hit were airports in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops and ground delays in response to weather and capacity constraints at airports including Charlotte-Douglas International, a major hub for American Airlines.

Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

The most recent delays come after hundreds of passengers were stuck on at least a half-dozen planes for several hours at Reagan National Airport on May 22 after storms prevented flights from arriving and departing.