Another 3,000-Plus Flights Cancelled Monday

The Omicron-induced holiday travel misery is continuing for many travelers in the New Year.

According to FlightAware, 3,235 flights were canceled on Monday. That number follows the 4,000-plus that were canceled globally on Sunday, a number that was mostly U.S. flights.

Carriers have attributed the cancellations both to adverse weather across the U.S. and a surge in COVID cases caused by the Omicron variant, which has made it difficult for airlines to remain fully staffed as some crew members and pilots have been forced into quarantine.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson, speaking to Fox this weekend, said that “like the rest of the U.S. population, an increased number of FAA employees have tested positive for COVID-19. To maintain safety, traffic volume at some facilities could be reduced, which might result in delays during busy periods.”

According to FlightAware, as of Monday morning, the cancellations are coming across the board, with China Eastern (514 cancellations on Monday) leading the way followed by Southwest (437), SkyWest (207), JetBlue (136), and Endeavor Air (122). United (103), Alaska (73), Delta (72), and others are also heavily impacted.

The cancellations are also coming across the U.S. and the rest of the world—Reagan National in D.C. (115 cancellations), LaGuardia in New York (81), Denver International (80), Baltimore/Washington International (70), and Newark Liberty (69) all reported heavy cancellation numbers on Monday.

Cancellations could get worse before anything improves. Winter storm warnings have been issued for areas from New Jersey to northeastern Georgia on Monday as weather continues to play its part. Some spots in that area could get up to a foot of snow, according to AccuWeather, with airports in cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia all expected to be affected.