Flight Cancellations Continue As COVID Staffing Shortages Impact Airlines
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Hundreds of flights were grounded again Wednesday as airlines deal with COVID-related staff shortages.
Newark Liberty International Airport reported 101 canceled flights on Wednesday. John F. Kennedy International Airport had 40, and LaGuardia had 22.
Preliminary numbers show 94 cancelations at Newark on Thursday, 63 at JFK and 20 at LaGuardia, but those numbers could change.
That's according to the website FlightAware.com.
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Many frustrated travelers are stranded at airports.
"My family had been waiting in airports for three days straight," Brooklyn resident Nick Napoli said. "We were hoping to get the family together for the holidays in Denver, and unfortunately, that's not going to happen."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to cut the quarantine time in half will allow airlines to bring back staff more quickly, but the union representing flight attendants says that could put more people in danger.
"This guidance was put in place at the behest of corporate America. It was not put in place for public health initiatives," said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants.
TSA data shows the number of passengers screened went up significantly from last year, on some days doubling.