This year there are more than 4 thousand flights which were canceled worldwide between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day due to Covid. The phenomenon is mainly due to the increase in positive cases due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. The inconvenience caused to all those who would have had to travel in these hours is noteworthy. According to the analysis of the specialized site Flightaware, over a quarter of the cancellations concern the United States, between internal and international connections, with various companies that have had to deal with both the quarantine isolation of on-board personnel and with ground operations.
The biggest problems in the United States
The most affected airlines are Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines. Australia is also particularly affected by the inconvenience, with more than 100 skipped connections with Sydney and Melbourne. Beyond 4mila the canceled flights that were scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas, and more than 5 thousand those that have suffered or will suffer delays already announced. The first problems had already occurred on Thursday 23 December, the preceding day, when about 2 thousand flights had been canceled and another 16 thousand had been delayed. Some airlines have reported that i problems they are directly consequent to the rise in infections from Covid due to the large and rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
Italian airports, at least for the moment, would not be particularly affected by the inconvenience. Last Thursday the airline United Airlines, one of those most affected by cancellations and delays, had issued a statement explaining that 120 flights scheduled for December 24 would be canceled due to the direct impact of the variant on the crew and on the ground. Delta had instead canceled 90 flights scheduled for yesterday as it had run out of all available options and resources, both due to staffing problems and bad weather conditions.
In the UK staff in solitary confinement
In Australia, a spokesman for the Sydney airport announced that the cancellation of 80 domestic flights departing or arriving at the Australian capital airport on Friday caused problems for more than 500 connections. In Melbourne, 52 flights were also canceled. Even in Great Britain the transport sector is currently struggling with a heavy reduction in staff: many workers have in fact ended up in forty after testing positive for Covid. The various airline websites have been overrun by travelers who want to know about their flight.
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