More than 1,000 Flights Delayed Tuesday After Record-setting Memorial Day Weekend

Millions of travelers took to the skies over the Memorial Day holiday weekend in record-setting numbers, but flight delays and cancellations rolled into Tuesday and created a post holiday weekend hangover.

More than 1,100 flights were delayed and more than 200 were canceled within, into, or out of the United States by late Tuesday morning, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Flight issues continued to pile up throughout the morning and came after more than 8,400 delayed flights and more than 580 canceled flights on Monday.

In total, more than 20,000 flights were delayed and more than 860 were canceled from Saturday through Monday.

The biggest issues were found in the New York City area on Monday. LaGuardia Airport had the most disruptions, canceling 15 percent of all outbound flights and delaying 40 percent. That was followed by Newark Liberty International Airport, which canceled 12 percent of all outbound flights and delayed 34 percent.

On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines was the most affected, delaying 8 percent of all flights.

The flight disruptions came as record amounts of travelers passed through airports across the U.S. over the holiday weekend. On Friday alone, more than 2.95 million travelers passed through Transportation Security Administration screening lanes, a new record.

The previous record was set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, 2023, and came in at 2,908,785.

“TSA Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the TSA wrote in a post on X. “We recommend arriving early.”

The unofficial start of summer is likely a harbinger of what’s to come, and it’s going to lead to flight costs that equal or even surpass 2023. Prices are expected to peak now through early June.

But the good news is some destinations are expected to cost (slightly) less than last summer, including countries in Europe.