Omicron surge forces cancellation of 4K flights globally on first Sunday of New Year
Cancellation of flights due to Omicron surge creates chaos in travel scene across the globe
The Omicron surge and the scare it has created are grounding not just lives. The New Year Sunday saw as many as 4000 flights being cancelled, giving rise to ultimate chaos in the travel scenario across the globe.
Of the 4000 flights that were cancelled, more than half of them were in the United States. Coupled with the Omicron surge, inclement weather also added to the hassle, forcing many airline operators to stay put on the ground.
With flights getting cancelled, the weekend travel scene saw itself being grounded. The Sunday early morning airport updates put the number of flights that got cancelled at more than 2,400 aircraft services that were coming into or taking off from airports in the United States. These apart, on a global level, more than 11,200 flights were delayed.
Omicron surge forces halting of flight services
The numbers came about as huge owing to the time of the year that normally witnesses a huge number of flights in operation. It is a known fact that Christmas and New Year holidays are the season for peak air travel.
The Omicron infections have become so widespread that the highly transmissible Coronavirus variant is at a point of no stopping. This has also led to airline companies deciding to halt or slowdown operations as most of the pilots and cabin crew staff have gone into quarantine.
Staff shortage owing to virus fear
It needs to be understood that the travel scene in the United States have been facing a major crunch over the past two years since the advent of the Coronavirus. The transportation companies in the American scenario have been forced to put on hold or cutting down services owing to the tough situation brought to force by the COVID-19 situation. With Omicron now on the surge, the situation has turned grim. Services are down and staff shortage has been climbing.
Adding to the trouble, airline crew, pilots and support staff have made their reluctance known when it comes to going to work. Even after companies offering good incentives for those reporting for work, not many people are willing to do that owing to the virus scare.
Though the weekend is now over, the airline services are likely to stay grounded. The Omicron surge is getting scarier by the day, and the travel scene would continue to remain among the most affected sectors.
