More than 2,500 flights were canceled Monday worldwide due to the global surge of COVID-19 cases, much of it due to the Omicron variant.
Nearly 1,000 flights moving in, out and around the United States were among those that were canceled, according to the FlightAware website. Another 8,000 flights were delayed.
“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 said in a statement.
“As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”
Thousands of flights had already been canceled this weekend, starting with Friday, on the eve of one of the most important Christian holidays.
A total of more than 6,000 flights were canceled, including some 1,200 flights in the United States, on Sunday alone. Another 5,000 flights were delayed as well, due to a staff shortage caused by illness.
Other factors, including bad weather, also contributed to the cancelations, the airlines said.
