Airlines say storms and omicron caused flight cancellations

In a single day over the holidays, nearly a third of United Airlines employees called out sick at Newark Liberty International Airport, a major hub for the airline, the company’s CE said Tuesday. That disclosure, which came in a memo to staff members, helps to explain the industry’s recent struggles. Storms disrupted flights by delivering whipping winds, rains and heavy snowfall at airports nationwide, and the fast-spreading Omicron virus variant compounded the havoc by sickening thousands of airline workers, leaving many travelers stranded and angry. Overall, about 3,000 United Airlines employees — more than 4% of its work force — have recently tested positive for the coronavirus, the airline’s chief executive, Scott Kirby, said in his memo. The vast majority are not working and United is cutting its flight schedule to manage the shortage. “Our frontline teams continue to put in a tremendous effort during what I know is an incredibly challenging and stressful time — the Omicron surge has put a strain on our operation, resulting in customer disruptions during a busy holiday season,” he said. United’s experience is not particularly extraordinary, and two other companies have canceled many more flights. All told, the industry has canceled more than 29,000 flights, or about 8 percent of all scheduled trips, since Dec. 25, according to FlightAware, a data tracking service. Many airlines say the virus is at least partly to blame. The problems began to mount in the days before Christmas. Story has more.<br/>