As of Saturday, the same site had identified nearly 2,800 flight cancellations, 970 of them related to the United States.
Cancellations on Friday were around 2,400 and delays approached 11,000, according to Flightaware.
Many companies had to quarantine pilots, flight attendants, and other staff members who were exposed to Covid. For this reason, Lufthansa, Delta and United Airlines had to cancel flights.
According to Flightaware, United Airlines canceled 439 flights on Friday and Saturday, about 10% of those scheduled.
“The peak in Omicron cases across the country this week has had a direct impact on our crews and the people who run our operations.”explained the US company, which said it is working to find solutions for affected passengers.
Delta Air Lines also canceled more than 300 flights on Saturday and 170 the day before, again according to Flightaware, which cites Ómicron as the main cause of cancellations, and occasionally adverse weather conditions.
“Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources” before arriving at these cancellations, argued the airline, reported the AFP news agency.
More than ten flights were also canceled by Alaska Airlines, whose employees said they had been “potentially exposed to the virus” and announced their decision to self-quarantine.
Weather conditions contributed to flight suppressions.
In the western United States, snow storms and sharp drops in temperatures were forecast, further complicating an already chaotic situation.
But cities like Seattle and Portland were able to enjoy a snowy Christmas.
“The abnormally cold and humid conditions of the Pacific will result in prolonged periods of snowfall and rain”noted the US National Weather Service (NWS).
Chinese airlines were responsible for most of the cancellations: China Eastern cut about 540 flights, more than a quarter of the total scheduled, while Air China canceled 267, also about a quarter of its planned departures.
All these cancellations constitute a blow to the long-awaited resumption of travel in the end of the year holidays, after a 2020 Christmas severely marked by the pandemic.
In the United States, according to estimates by the Automobile Association, more than 109 million people were expected to leave their immediate area by plane, train or car between December 23 and January 2, an increase of 34% over the last year.
Source From: Ambito
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