Flight cancellations drag on as airlines short-staffed

By TALI ARBEL

NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday arsenic staffing issues tied to COVID-19disrupted vacation celebrations during 1 of the busiest question times of the year.

FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving oregon wrong the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690 Friday. Over 200 much flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not accidental wherefore flights are canceled.

Delta, United and JetBlue connected Friday had each said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems starring to formation cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were inactive causing cancellations and it was unclear erstwhile mean operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s interaction connected staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not instantly respond to questions Saturday.

According to FlightAware, the 3 airlines canceled much than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines besides canceled 90 flights Saturday, astir 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the hose contacted customers connected Friday. European and Australian airlines person besides canceled holiday-season flights owed to staffing problems tied to COVID.

FlightAware, which does not springiness a crushed for wherefore flights are canceled, said airlines scrapped astir 6,000 flights globally connected Friday, Saturday and Sunday arsenic of Saturday afternoon, with astir one-third of affected flights to, from oregon wrong the United States. Chinese airlines made up galore of the canceled flights, and Chinese airports topped FlightAware’s lists of those with astir cancellations. China has strict pandemic power measures including predominant lockdowns, and the authorities acceptable 1 connected Xi’an, a metropolis of 13 cardinal people, earlier this week.

Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages person been a regular occupation for the U.S. hose manufacture this year. Airlines encouraged workers to discontinue successful 2020, erstwhile aerial question collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this twelvemonth arsenic question recovered.

To easiness staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. person reduced the magnitude of COVID-19 quarantines by letting radical instrumentality to enactment sooner aft investigating affirmative oregon being exposed to the virus.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who person called connected the Biden medication to instrumentality akin steps oregon hazard further disruptions successful aerial travel. On Thursday, the U.S. shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for wellness attraction workers only.