Hundreds more flights canceled as omicron surge stresses air travel workforce

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Hundreds more flights canceled as omicron stresses air travel staffing

ABC's Kenneth Moton has the latest on flight cancellations due to omicron.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Hundreds more flights were canceled across the country Sunday as the omicron COVID-19 variant stressed the air travel industry's workforce.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. were canceled Sunday, and nearly 4,000 were delayed, putting a hasty return home for thousands of holiday travelers in doubt.

As of 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, 145 flights were canceled by Delta, 112 by JetBlue, 107 by United and 76 by American Airlines, according to FlightAware.

Sunday was forecasted to be the third busiest air travel day of this holiday season.

Since Christmas Eve, more than 2,000 flights have been canceled by several major U.S. airlines.

Weather was to blame for a few of the cancellations, but airlines cite the nationwide surge in COVID cases as the primary cause.

In our area, more than 400 flights were canceled at Newark Liberty Airport.

One family found out on their way to Denver that their connecting flight was canceled and they were forced to return to New Jersey.

"We left the house at seven o'clock Friday morning and we just got back here half an hour ago," Les Tribble said. "A severe, just, test of nerves to get back here."

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