Thousands of Memorial Day weekend flights canceled

More than 5,500 flights have been canceled over Memorial Day weekend, as Americans begin their summer travel plans with relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.

Nearly 1,400 flights have been canceled by Sunday afternoon, with about 390 of those flights within, into or out of the United States, according to FlightAware. 

Sunday's cancellations follow more than 1,500 global cancellations on Saturday and over 2,300 on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Delta Airlines, which had at least 5% of its flights canceled on Saturday and Sunday, told the AP that the cancellations were due to poor weather and "air traffic control actions."

Flights are already being canceled for Monday, with more than 300 cancellations. 

Another reason for flight problems is due to the fact that airlines have thousands of fewer employees than before the pandemic, AP stated.

With inflation and record gas prices, U.S. travelers can expect to pay an average of $400 more for a domestic round trip over the summer, 24% more than in 2019.