US Flight Updates: Cancellations Persist After Holiday Meltdown
The rampant rise of the Omicron variant and disruptive weather have caused many inconveniences for travelers as thousands of flights were canceled over the holidays, and the problems appear to be persisting into the new year.
According to data from airline technology company FlightAware, 1,300 flights around the country were canceled Tuesday, CNBC reports, which is concerningly high for this time of year. However, it doesn’t come close to the disturbances endured on Monday, when over 3,200 flights were canceled.
Since Christmas Eve, airlines have called off over 20,000 flights, in what was presumed to be the most hectic holiday season since pre-pandemic days. But the issues appear to be lingering as normal air traffic returns.
"As you've noted, we continue to have an unusual number of cancellations this week — some have been due to severe weather, and some due to other factors," Allegiant Air spokeswoman Hilarie Grey told CNN. "The ongoing impact of these factors is not something we can predict, but we do anticipate additional delays and cancellations this week, unfortunately."
A harsh winter storm that struck the mid-Atlantic caused a total of 3,225 cancellations on Monday. Furthermore, Southwest Airlines canceled over 300 flights Tuesday.
There is increased optimism going into the future, however, as the weather has eased over much of the U.S., the Associated Press reports.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.