WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — It’s been a rough week for air travelers with thousands of delays and cancellations nationwide.

On Tuesday, more than 4,000 flights were delayed and about 1,300 were canceled, according to FlightAware.

Thunderstorms were mostly to blame but United Airlines said severe weather is something the FAA has typically been able to manage.

For more than a year, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has accused airlines of scheduling more flights than they can handle.

Airlines are pushing back saying the FAA is to blame for its lack of staffing, which the feds have admitted to.

In March, the FAA issued a notice warning that an air traffic controller shortage at its New York facility could disrupt summer travel.

The good news? Airlines are canceling only 1.5% of flights nationwide this month, which is lower than this time last year.

Now airlines are looking to get back on track as the 4th of July weekend quickly approaches.

AAA is predicting more than 50 million people will hit the roads or skies, setting a new record for the holiday.

“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” said Mary Maguire, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast.

Air travel alone is expected to set a new record with 4.17 million Americans expected to fly to their destinations — an increase of 11.2% over 2022 and 6.6% over 2019.

Travel experts recommend giving yourself extra time to get to your destination.