US airlines cancel more flights as Covid threatens holiday celebrations

The Omicron coronavirus variant vigorously continued its viral march across the US on Christmas Day, throwing many winter holiday celebrations into turmoil.

Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to Covid disrupted holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the US canceled Saturday, up from 690 Friday. Over 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.

Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had said the Omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule.

The global tally of cancelled flights exceeded 5,400 trips over the weekend.

Christian churches were disrupted, with many canceling in-person congregations, while others planned outdoor services or a hybrid of online and in-person worship, including requirements to wear masks and show proof of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Among those canceling some or all in-person Christmas services were Washington national cathedral, St John the Divine in New York, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and the historic Old South Church in Boston, after religious leaders said they did not want to place worshippers and church staff at risk of contracting the disease.