NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights as the omicron variant jumbled schedules and drew down staffing levels at some carriers during the busy holiday travel season. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said they canceled flights because of staff shortages tied to the omicron variant. Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. According to FlightAware, there are nearly 3,400 canceled flights on Friday and Saturday, with at least half of the cancellations by Chinese airlines.

Source: thestar December 25, 2021 05:01 UTC