Omicron strikes again. According to FlightAware, airlines canceled more than 600 Holiday flights within, into or out of the U.S. on Friday, with another 400 canceled on Christmas Day.
The cancellations are primarily due to staffing shortages caused by the omicron coronavirus variant, disrupting travel plans for some at one of the airline industry’s busiest times of the year.
As of 4 p.m. Eastern time Friday, 627 U.S. flights had been canceled. According to FlightAware, out of 2,338 cancellations worldwide, an additional 2,146 U.S. flights have been delayed.
United Airlines has canceled 188 U.S. flights, the most of any U.S. carrier, followed by Delta Air Lines with 167 cancellations and JetBlue with 73.
Airlines have cited the omicron variant as the primary reason behind the cancellations, along with inclement weather, with Lufthansa saying in a statement Friday that despite implementing a “large buffer” for the holiday season, it “was not sufficient due to the high rate of people calling in sick.”
Delta said in a statement Thursday it had decided to cancel flights only after the airline “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircrafts and crews.”
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“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement Thursday. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”
The CDC has also warned of spiking COVID-19 cases as the fast-spreading Omicron variant infects many throughout the nation. Omicron has become the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S., and health officials urge people to get fully vaccinated and boosted before any travel. People are also advised to avoid crowded and poorly ventilated spaces and wear a well-fitting face mask in public indoor settings.