2,000 U.S. flights are cancelled by airlines on Thursday.

After Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest U.S. storms in recent memory, devastated Florida's Gulf Coast,

 airlines cancelled over 2,000 U.S. flights for Thursday.

U.S. air travel is experiencing substantial delays as a result of the hurricane, particularly in the southeast.

Through this Friday, more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled by airlines since Tuesday.

Airlines cancelled 2,163 flights on Wednesday as several Florida airports,

including Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota-Bradenton, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Naples, and temporarily suspended operations.

Airlines provided waivers that allowed hurricane-affected travellers to rebook tickets at no additional cost.