Struggling Airlines Cancel Nearly 1,000 Christmas Day Flights

Winter weather and the Omicron variant of the coronavirus led to the cancellation of 957 flights on Christmas Day after 690 flights were scrapped on Christmas Eve, leaving many would-be holiday makers stranded. Delta cancelled 344 of 3,000 flights due to both bad weather and staff shortages as pilots and crew members were forced into quarantines. “The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United spokesperson Maddie King said. “We are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays.” Reuters reports that more than 2,700 flights were cancelled globally, according to the website FlightAware.