More than 4,500 flights have had to be canceled across the world, mainly in the United States and China, in particular in the face of the new Omicron strain of the coronavirus which is disrupting the end-of-year festivities.
Airlines have had to cancel more than 4,500 flights worldwide, especially in the face of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 which disrupts travel during the holidays.
According to the Flightaware website, at 7:20 a.m. GMT on Saturday there were at least 2,000 flight cancellations, of which 700 were trips related to the United States, whether international or internal, and more than 1,500 delays. .
Friday, about 2,400 cancellations and nearly 11,000 delays were identified according to the same source which already has more than 600 cancellations scheduled for Sunday. As of Thursday, 2,231 flights were canceled.
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.
Pilots, flight attendants and other staff members had to be quarantined after being exposed to Covid, which forced Lufthansa, Delta and United Airlines to cancel flights.
According to Flightaware, United Airlines had to cancel around 200 flights on Friday and Saturday, or 10% 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," said the US company, which said it is working to find solutions for passengers affected.
Delta Air Lines also canceled 260 flights on Saturday and 170 the day before, again according to Flightaware, citing both Omicron and, occasionally, adverse weather conditions. "The Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources" before coming to these cancellations, argues the airline.
More than ten Alaska Airlines flights, whose employees said they were "potentially exposed to the virus" and had to self-isolate in quarantine, have also been canceled
109 million Americans on the move
These cancellations disrupt the desire to resume travel this year for the holidays, after a Christmas 2020 hit hard by the pandemic.
According to estimates by the American Automobile Association, more than 109 million Americans were scheduled to leave their immediate area by plane, train or car between December 23 and January 2 - a 34% increase from the year last.
For example, the airline company American Airlines had planned 5,300 flights Thursday, as many as the two previous days.
"This represents 86% of our flight program for the same period of 2019", during the last end of year celebrations before the Covid-19 comes at length to obstruct most of the trips, said the company.
But most of these trips had been planned before the outbreak of the highly contagious Omicron variant, which spreads at full speed and forces many people to self-isolate even without symptoms.
Chinese companies very affected
Chinese airlines have also been hit by a large number of cancellations: China Eastern has cut around 480 flights, or more than 20% of its flight plan, while Air China has canceled 15% of its scheduled departures.
These cancellations disrupt the desire to resume travel this year for the holidays, after a Christmas 2020 hit hard by the pandemic .
According to estimates by the American Automobile Association, more than 109 million Americans were expected to leave their immediate area by plane, train or car between December 23 and January 2, an increase of 34% from the year last.
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