AP reports from Frankfurt that at least three major airlines have reported canceling dozens of flights as illnesses largely tied to the omicron variant of COVID-19 take a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season.
Germany-based Lufthansa noted Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the Christmas holiday period because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston, and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period.
The carrier says it couldn’t speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.
In the U.S., Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said they had to cancel dozens of Christmas Eve flights because of staff shortages tied to omicron.
The cancellations come as coronavirus cases driven by the new variant further squeeze staffing at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets, and other critical operations struggling to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.
Countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines to ease staffing shortages by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.
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