Omicron variant: more than 2,000 flights canceled worldwide on Christmas Eve – franceinfo

Airlines have had to cancel more than 2,000 flights around the world, including nearly a quarter in the United States, especially in the face of the Omicron variant which disrupts travel during the holidays. According to the site Flightaware (in English), there were Friday, December 24, at 4:40 p.m., at least 2,116 flight cancellations, of which 499 are trips related to the United States, whether international or internal. As of Thursday, 2,231 flights had been canceled, according to the same source.

Many companies questioned by AFP referred to the new wave of the pandemic, which particularly affects crews, as one of the main causes linked to these cancellations. According to Flightaware, United Airlines, for example, had to cancel more than 170 flights on Friday, or 9% of those that were scheduled. “The peak of Omicron cases across the country this week has had a direct impact on our crews and the people who run our operations.”, explained the company, which assured to strive to find solutions for its affected passengers.