Paris, Jan. 3 (BNA): More than 4,000 flights around the world were canceled on Sunday, more than half of them from US flights, adding to the toll of holiday travel disruptions due to bad weather and a significant rise in coronavirus cases caused by the spread of the coronavirus. virus. Omicron variant.
Flights canceled by 8 p.m. GMT Sunday included more than 2,400 flights entering, departing or within the United States, according to tracking website FlightAware.com. Globally, more than 11,200 flights were delayed.
And FlightAware showed that among the airlines the most canceled were Skywest and Southwest, with 510 and 419 cancellations, respectively, according to Reuters.
The Christmas and New Year holidays are usually prime time for air travel, but the rapid spread of the transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and cabin crew in quarantine.
Transportation agencies across the United States have been suspending or reducing services due to staff shortages linked to the coronavirus.
Omicron brought in a record number of issues and eroded New Year’s celebrations in most parts of the world.
The rise in coronavirus cases in the United States has led some companies to change their plans to increase the number of employees working from their offices from Monday.
US authorities recorded at least 346,869 new coronaviruses on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally. The death toll in the United States from COVID-19 has risen by at least 377 to 828,562.
American Airlines cabin crew, pilots and support staff were reluctant to work overtime during the holidays, despite huge financial incentive offers. Some airline associations said many feared contracting COVID-19 and did not welcome the prospect of dealing with unruly passengers.
In the months leading up to the holiday, airlines were courting staff to ensure there were strong staff, after laying off or laying off thousands over the past 18 months as the pandemic crippled the industry.
HF