Several major U.S. airlines, including United and Delta, have canceled hundreds of Christmas Eve flights due to the impact of the Omicron variant amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for hazardous weather conditions in some areas.
At the time of reporting on Friday, there were reported to be at least 416 cancellations of flights within, into, or out of the U.S. on Christmas Eve, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking data provider.
A spokesperson for United (which has canceled more than 100 flights) said in a statement: "The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation," according to USA Today.
"As a result, we've unfortunately had to cancel some flights...we're sorry for the disruption," the spokesperson said, adding the airline is notifying its impacted customers and rebooking "as many people as possible."
Over 100 Delta flights were also canceled "due to a combination of issues, including but not limited to, potential inclement weather in some areas and the impact of the omicron variant," the carrier explained in a statement.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service warned travellers in the Western U.S. may see their Christmas travel plans be impacted by snow and the "potential for hazardous travel conditions" through the weekend.
The airline told ABC News that its teams had "exhausted all options and resources," including "rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying," before it canceled dozens of its Christmas Eve flights.
"We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans," Delta stated, noting the airline is working to get customers rebooked "as quickly and as safely as possible on the next available flight."
Which Airlines Have Canceled Flights?
Some of the U.S. airlines that have canceled flights, as of December 24, according to FlightAware.
- United: 165
- Delta: 115
- JetBlue: 49
- American Airlines: 6
- Virgin Atlantic: 2
- Alaska Airlines: 9
- Allegiant Air: 12
- SkyWest Airlines: 9
- Frontier Airlines: 3
- Spirit Airlines: 5
Airports With Canceled Flights
Some of the major U.S. airports that have reported canceled outbound flights, as of December 24, according to FlightAware.
- Newark Liberty International (New Jersey): 35
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International (Georgia): 29
- Chicago O'Hare International (Illinois): 23
- John F. Kennedy International (New York City): 19
- LaGuardia (New York City): 8
- Los Angeles International (California): 14
- Boston Logan International (Massachusetts): 14
- San Francisco International (California): 11
- Houston Bush International (Texas): 15
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (Texas): 5
- Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International (Florida): 16
- Seattle–Tacoma International (Washington): 6
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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