Memorial Day travel chaos after more than 2,200 flights were canceled on the first day of the bank holiday weekend

MORE than 2,200 flights have already been canceled as travelers land at airports as Memorial Day weekend begins.

Transit centers could get even more chaotic as more Americans are reportedly planning to travel this holiday weekend than last year.

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As of 7pm EST, 2,231 flights have been canceled as reported by FlightAware. The number continued to rise throughout the day.

In addition, over 14,500 flights worldwide have been delayed, according to the website.

Experts say travel demand has increased significantly since the pandemic abruptly ended most travel in 2020.

More people are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend than in 2021, despite record-high gas prices, higher hotel rates and expensive plane tickets, the Washington Post reported.

National gas costs rose to $4.60, up 50 cents from last year. Some states, like California, pay up to $6 for a gallon of gasoline.

The average retail cost of mid-range hotel rooms is $230, up 42 percent year-over-year. The lowest cost of an airline ticket is $184, up 6 percent year-on-year.

Some travelers have chosen to stay closer to home due to rising travel costs, but still want to get out to celebrate the ‘unofficial’ start of summer.

“Now that fear of COVID among travelers has eased significantly — and despite inflationary pressures — people are determined to get out there,” Amir Eylon, president of travel and tourism market research consultancy Longwoods International, told The Washington Post.

AAA forecasts about 40 million people will travel across the country this weekend.

One of the reasons more people are expected to travel is reportedly that Covid vaccines are more widely available to the public than they were last year.

“I think this year, especially with vaccines being readily available and a lot of people getting vaccinated, a lot of people have a desire to travel,” Ragina Ali, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, told The Washington Post.

A poll by AAA found that one in three people said a Memorial Day trip will be their first significant summer trip since 2019.

According to a Washington Post-Schar School poll, 72 percent of Americans plan to take a trip this summer.

In Maryland, officials are advising people to visit their beaches early in the morning or later in the day to reduce travel congestion.

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