NORFOLK, Va. — As we hit peak summer travel, thousands of air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays over the weekend and into Monday.
The culprit? Storms across the East Coast and Midwest.
Travelers were seeing a lot of red cancellations and hours-long delays at Norfolk International Airport on Monday.
Daniel Chery said he’s just trying to get back home to Canada. To do that, he has to get to New York first.
"I was supposed to leave yesterday in the evening and then I got here and then my flight was canceled, so there was no other option, so they booked me for today and I’m back today and it’s the same story," he said.
Looking at the flight board in the terminal, New York City is seeing some of the largest numbers of cancellations and delays.
"Yesterday, I know it was weather, but today it looks like the same kind of weather as yesterday," said Chery.
Nearly 2,000 flights were canceled on Saturday and Sunday combined, according to FlightAware. More than 1,400 were canceled Monday, including some going in and out of Norfolk International Airport.
"Particularly here in Norfolk, we have some runway construction going on at the moment, so as a result of that, some of the navigational aids are out of service and that can impact airport operations here during periods of low visibility," said Steve Sterling, Executive Vice President of the Norfolk Airport Authority.
In addition to bad weather, a technology failure was also to blame for some of those delays over the weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration briefly paused operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports Sunday evening due to a problem with the communications system at a major air traffic control facility.
Sterling said if you’re traveling, you should keep an eye on the status of your flight either through your airline’s app or on the airport’s website.
"If we have lightning strikes within five miles of the airport, the fueling operations have to cease and then all the ground crews have to go inside," said Sterling.
Remember, under federal law, you are entitled to a full refund if an airline cancels your flight.
You also have the option to book a seat on the next available flight through your airline.
Chery said he just wants to get home.
"Good luck to anyone that’s trying to travel," he said.