From CNET: Staffing shortages caused by a spike in COVID cases has led to the cancellation of 1,224 flights within, into or out of the US on Thursday, according to air-travel tracker site FlightAware.
Globally, more than 2,800 flights have been axed, following a similar number nixed on Wednesday. Some flights may be delayed or canceled by a lack of healthy air-traffic control staff, the Federal Aviation Administration told the Wall Street Journal.
The end of the year is typically the busiest time for airlines, but the COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with holiday travel plans: More than 6,000 scheduled flights were canceled over the Christmas weekend alone, CNN reported.
On Thursday afternoon, United had grounded some 198 flights, representing 9% of its total schedule, and another 338 were delayed to various degrees. Delta expected to cancel about 250, or 6%, of its flights scheduled for Thursday, according to the Journal.
Budget carrier JetBlue has been particularly hard hit, canceling 175 flights, or 17% of its total roster by Thursday afternoon, with another 267 listed as delayed, according to FlightAware. The airline is reducing its schedule by about 1,280 flights through Jan. 13 because of crew members becoming infected with the new highly transmissible omicron COVID variant, an airline spokesperson told Reuters.
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