Covid 19 - Flight cancellations spoil holiday plans

At least 5,700 flights have been cancelled worldwide over the long Christmas weekend and thousands more were delayed, a tracking website reported on Saturday.

According to Flightaware.com, The highly infectious Omicron variant brings holiday travel headaches to millions. More than 2,500 flights were scrubbed around the globe on Christmas Day, including more than 870 originating from or headed to US airports, with some 4,200 delays as of 1430 GMT.

According to FlightAware, the three airlines cancelled more than 10 per cent of their scheduled Saturday flights. American Airlines also cancelled more than 90 flights Saturday, about 3 per cent of its schedule.

On Friday, there were around 2,400 cancellations and 11,000 delays, while Sunday cancellations have already topped 800.

“The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement on Friday.

Likewise, Delta cancelled at least 280 flights on Saturday and was already cancelling 64 on Sunday, saying it has “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying”.

The cancellations added to the pandemic frustration for many people eager to reunite with their families over the holidays, after last year’s Christmas was severely curtailed.