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.

Source: CBC News December 25, 2021 06:13 UTC