Omicron-related disruptions cause over 3,600 flight cancellations to start off 2022 (updated)

SkyWest

02/01/2022 15:21

(Adds updated data in first and second paragraphs, companies
with high cancellations in third paragraph)
    By Kanishka Singh
    Jan 2 (Reuters) - More than 3,600 flights were cancelled
around the world on Sunday, more than half of them U.S. flights,
adding to the toll of holiday week travel disruptions due to
adverse weather and the surge in coronavirus cases caused by the
Omicron variant.
    Over 3,600 flights had been cancelled by afternoon GMT on
Sunday, including over 2,100 entering, departing from or within
the United States, according to a running tally on the tracking
website FlightAware.com. Including those delayed but not
cancelled, more than 6,400 flights were delayed in total. 
    Among the airlines with maximum cancellations were SkyWest
 SKYW.O  and SouthWest  LUV.N  with each having over 400
cancellations, the FlightAware website showed. 
    The Christmas and New Year holidays are typically a peak
time for air travel, but the rapid spread of the highly
transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in
COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as
pilots and crew quarantine.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2TG0K8
    Transportation agencies across the United States were also
suspending or reducing services due to coronavirus-related staff
shortages.
    Omicron has brought record case counts and dampened New Year
festivities around much of the world.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2TG076.
    The rise in U.S. COVID-19 cases had caused some companies to
change plans to increase the number of employees working from
their offices from Monday.
    Chevron Corp  CVX.N  was to start a full return to office
from Jan. 3 but told employees in late December it was
postponing the move indefinitely.
    U.S. authorities registered at least 346,869 new coronavirus
on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally. The U.S. death toll
from COVID-19 rose by at least 377 to 828,562.
    U.S. airline cabin crew, pilots and support staff were
reluctant to work overtime during the holiday travel season,
despite offers of hefty financial incentives. Many workers
feared contracting COVID-19 and did not welcome the prospect of
dealing with unruly passengers, some airline unions said.
    In the months preceding the holidays, airlines were wooing
employees to ensure solid staffing, after furloughing or laying
off thousands over the last 18 months as the pandemic hobbled
the industry.

 (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin
Liffey and Mark Porter)
 ((Kanishka.Singh@thomsonreuters.com; +91 9620300091;))