More Flights Canceled In Boston, Around The Country As Omicron Causes Airline Staffing Shortages
BOSTON (CBS) -- A weekend of holiday travel was plagued by hundreds of flight cancellations across the country.
Dozens of flights in and out of Boston were canceled Sunday, and at least 40 were already canceled Monday at Logan, according to FlightAware.
Airlines are struggling to staff flights because of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Some are now asking the CDC to shorten the quarantine period for those who are fully vaccinated to try and solve these ongoing problems.
"The government approved this request for the healthcare industry," travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told CBS News. "And honestly, if it's good enough for hospital workers, for nurses and doctors, I think it should be good enough for the airline industry as well."
CBS News reports that more than 3,000 flights were canceled across the country from Friday to Sunday, and hundreds more have been canceled Monday morning.
"Omicron is the Grinch that stole Christmas from airline travelers," Harteveldt said. "Airlines can't operate flights without the required number of pilots and flight attendants. Safety comes first."
Health experts tell WBZ-TV that airline passengers are more likely to get COVID because of the Omicron variant. If people must travel, they are urged not to take their mask off during the flight at all if possible.
