Many flights have been cancelled by US airlines in the last week due to crew shortages caused by the variation. This holiday season, Canadian air travellers see an increase in flight cancellations, but airlines say the weather is a bigger influence than COVID-19.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled by Canada’s top airlines between December 22 and December 26 this year, according to airline data provider Cirium. During this time, Flair Airlines cancelled 9% of its scheduled flights, while WestJet Airlines Ltd. cancelled 7% of its flights. During this time, Air Canada cancelled 4% of its scheduled flights.
The proportion of cancelled flights was much higher than earlier in December, when major carrier cancellation rates stayed around 1% to 2%, and also higher than the same period during the pre-pandemic holiday season in 2019.
U.S. airlines have confirmed cancelling a large number of flights in the last week due to staff shortages linked to the Omicron version south of the border. The statewide rise in cases this week has harmed flight crews and left airlines short-staffed, according to Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
Airways have delayed nearly 4,000 flights to, from, or within the United States since Friday, according to FlightAware, with over 1,000 delays in the United States on Monday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday that the minimum isolation time for Americans with COVID-19 had been reduced from 10 days to five days, provided they are asymptomatic. The action might help airlines and other businesses deal with the disease’s lack of staff.
Source: CBC News
