Omicron: Over 4,000 flights cancelled in the USA

As a result of an increase in Omicron variant cases causing global travel disruption over the holidays, airlines in the United States are continuing to be hammered hard by cancellations. According to the website Flightaware, the United States accounted for a fifth of the over 4,000 flights cancelled globally on Friday and Saturday.

The problem arose as a result of personnel testing positive or being forced to self-isolate in order to stop the spread.

The United States, like other countries throughout the world, has seen a significant increase in instances.

Scientists are concerned about the sheer volume of infections, despite early reports suggesting Omicron is milder than other forms.

"When we have millions of people all sick, all at the same time," Dr. Hallie Prescott, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times, "it doesn't take a significant fraction of those people to fall over the hospitals."

The United States had already declared that on December 31, it would suspend travel restrictions placed on South Africa and seven other African countries due to worries about the Omicron type.

South Africans, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawians have been unable to travel since November 29.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, cautioned earlier this week that even among fully vaccinated people, Christmas travel would enhance the spread of the variation.

Thousands of people's plans, however, were thrown into chaos as flights across the country were cancelled.

According to the FlightAware website, 689 flights into or out of the United States were cancelled on Friday at 03:30 GMT, with more than 700 projected to be cancelled on Christmas Day itself.

Delta, United Airlines, and American Airlines are the most severely impacted US airlines.

United Airlines reported that an increase in Omicron cases has "had a direct impact on our flight crews and the individuals who run our operation," and that it was contacting afflicted passengers before they arrived at the airport.

More than 4,000 flights planned to depart on Friday and Saturday have been cancelled worldwide.

Thousands of festive journeys were disrupted in Australia on Friday, with over 100 domestic flights from Sydney and Melbourne to regional cities being cancelled.

Jetstar, which was responsible for many of the cancellations, said it has rebooked "the vast majority" of customers "within a few hours of their original departure time so they may reach to their destination in time for Christmas," according to a representative.