At least three major airlines have reported cancelling dozens of flights as illnesses largely tied to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus take a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season.
Summary
- Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said they cancelled dozens of flights because of staff shortages tied to the Omicron variant.
- “The difference between airline staff and most other businesses is that when you work on a plane, you can’t work from home.
- Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel.
- According to FlightAware, there are nearly 3,400 cancelled flights on Friday and Saturday, with at least half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines.