Omicron surge: United and Delta cancel hundreds of Christmas flights

Delta said its cancellations were due to a combination of reasons, including potential inclement weather in some places and the impact of omicron

Air carriers scrapped more than 400 US flights Friday, led by United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as surging Covid infections and the prospects of bad weather disrupted Christmas Eve travel. In Germany, Lufthansa also cancelled several flights.

The global tally exceeded 2,000 trips, according to data tracker FlightAware.com. China Eastern and Air China ranked one-two, FlightAware reported as of 8:30 am New York Time, with Chinese airports affected most heavily.

United Airlines Holdings set the cancellations in motion late Thursday, and its count swelled overnight into Friday morning, with 169 flights – 9 per cent of the day’s schedule – erased.