Flight Chaos Continues: More Than 4,000 Cancelled As Omicron Creates Airline Staff Shortage

Flight Chaos Continues: More Than 4,000 Cancelled As Omicron Creates Airline Staff Shortage

Share to Linkedin More than 4, 000 flights were cancelled Sunday, more than half of which were in the U. S., as new coronavirus infections driven by the omicron variant continue to cause staff shortages at airlines and airports amid a busy holiday travel season. People wait to check-in at the Qatar Airways counter amid coronavirus fears at Miami International ... [+] Airport on March 15, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Worldwide, 4, 020 flights had been cancelled by Sunday afternoon, according to flight tracker FlightAware, with 2, 393 of the cancelled journeys being within, into, or out of the U. S. Another 4, 519 U. S. flights were delayed Sunday, according to the tracker. The airport most affected by cancellations is Chicago O'Hare, where 273 flights – 26% of those planned – were shuttered Sunday, as the surrounding Cook County grapples with a record number of coronavirus infections and a snowstorm. Regional carrier SkyWest Airlines cancelled 510 flights Sunday, or 21% of its scheduled trips, while airlines like Southwest, JetBlue and Delta also reported more than 100 cancellations each. Snowstorms, freezing temperatures and severe weather across the country have also compounded airlines' woes by preventing flights from operating as scheduled.