On Sunday alone, 921 flights departing and arriving in the US were canceled, and over 6,000 US flights were delayed.
Delta Airlines canceled 8% of its schedule on Sunday – 249 flights. American Airlines canceled 96 and United Airlines canceled 92.
“A variety of factors continue to impact our operations, including challenges with air traffic control, weather and unscheduled absences in some work groups,” Delta said in a statement.
“Canceling a flight is always our last resort, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience to their travel plans.”
Data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shows that more than 2.4 million people went through TSA checkpoints at airports in the US on Friday, the record high for the year.
On Saturday, more than 6,400 flights were delayed and 860 were canceled.
The chaos didn’t end on Monday morning, with 297 flights canceled before 10:35 AM (EST). More than 1,000 planned US flights were delayed as well.
Similar chaos at airports and in the skies occurred on Memorial Day weekend.
The airlines say they have a shortage of pilots and other staff, resulting from layoffs and resignations during the pandemic. The price of fuel is also a contributing factor to flight cancellations.
For travelers, the situation is frustrating and burdensome. Thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports in the US with many forced to sleep in the airport. Other travelers were forced to search for hotel rooms.