US air travel experienced significant disruptions on Saturday. Inclement weather across various parts of the nation compounded existing global aviation challenges stemming from the Omicron variant‘s surge.
By 11 p.m. (5 a.m. Sunday Swiss time), FlightAware reported 2,725 flight cancellations within the US, exceeding half of the 4,618 global cancellations.
Furthermore, 6,072 domestic US flights faced delays out of a global total of 11,136. SkyWest bore the brunt of the impact, canceling 23% of its schedule, followed by SouthWest at 13%.
Chicago’s northern airports were particularly hard-hit due to harsh weather, with a blizzard predicted for Saturday afternoon and night.
Travelers should brace for further difficulties on Sunday, the post-Christmas holiday travel day: FlightAware forecasts 1,497 US cancellations and 2,538 worldwide.
The highly infectious Omicron variant continues to severely disrupt global air travel. Numerous pilots and crew are absent due to illness or quarantine, leaving airlines short-staffed and leading to flight cancellations.
Over the Christmas weekend, approximately 7,500 flights were grounded globally.
