US flight cancellations hit new holiday peak amid Covid and bad weather
Flight cancellations in the US have hit a new peak in a
Christmas season hit hard by the Covid pandemic and bad weather.
Nearly 4,400 flights around the world were cancelled on
Saturday, more than 2,500 of them in the US, air traffic site FlightAware
reported.
Airlines have been struggling with staffing problems with
crew quarantining after contracting Covid.
Adding to travellers' woes, heavy snow has hit the central
US.
From the US cancellations, more than 1,000 are from
Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports.
"Today's cancellations are driven by Omicron staffing
and weather-related issues. We did pre-cancel flights in anticipation of
inclement weather. We've been contacting passengers early if their flights are
cancelled to give them time to rebook or make other plans," United
Airlines said in a statement.
Sunday, when many people often return home from their
Christmas holidays, is likely to bring further disruption, with more snow and
heavy winds forecast.
"It's too long and there's no space to spend the time,
get something to eat, it's a long time here," one traveller stuck at
O'Hara airport told ABC news in Chicago.
Since 24 December, more than 12,000 flights have been
cancelled in the US.
Airlines have being trying to woo crew with extra pay to
tackle the staff shortages. But unions say workers fear contracting Covid or
having to deal with angry passengers.
The US is facing a surge in Covid cases powered by the
Omicron variant.
New York City has seen record cases despite high vaccination
rates. The virus has hit everything from the police force to Broadway shows,
although there has not yet been a significant hike in hospitalisations.
The city's new mayor, Eric Adams, took office on Saturday
after low key New Year celebrations.
In his first speech, he said the city would not be
"controlled by crises".
"This pandemic has not only impacted us physically, but
emotionally, and I'm going to really encourage people in this city to just find
that inner peace, no matter what we're going through," he said.
"We have been through tragedies before. This is a
resilient city and a resilient country and I want to bring that energy,"
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