Close to 523 flights in or out of New York were canceled Saturday and another 2,100 flights were delayed, as Americans hit the skies for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

File photo: CGTN

Travelers flooded the airports on what is expected to be the busiest travel weekend of the year, with passenger numbers expected to reach the heights of pre-pandemic days.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it already screened close to 2.5 million passengers at U.S. airports on Friday.

Thunderstorms stretching through parts of the East Coast on Saturday may result in even more delays and cancellations. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted a reminder Saturday morning that passengers are entitled to cash refunds when their flights are canceled.