United, Delta Airlines Cancel At Least 200 Flights Due To Staffing Shortages Caused By Omicron

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - United and Delta Thursday canceled at least 200 Christmas Eve flights due to staffing shortages stemming from the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

United Airlines said it was canceling flights on Friday due to a rise in positive COVID-19 cases and close contact exposures, resulting in high numbers of employees making sick calls.

A United spokesperson told CBS News that at least 120 flights were being canceled. Delta Air Lines confirmed it was planning to cancel at least 90.

As of early Friday morning, at least 48 flights out of Los Angeles International Airport were canceled, according to the website FlightAware. That included 22 United, 18 Delta and four SkyWest flights.

A statement from United Airlines declared:

"The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation," a United spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News. "As a result, we've unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport. We're sorry for the disruption and are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays."

American and Southwest Airlines told CBS Dallas Thursday they have no plans to cancel any flights due to COVID-19 staffing issues.

In:
• COVID-19
• Omicron Variant
• United Airlines