Airlines cancel thousands of Christmas flights due to staff shortages

Airplanes
(Image credit: YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

Airlines canceled more than 2,500 flights Christmas Day, including 880 within, into, or out of the United States, NPR reports. Delta, for example, canceled 14 percent of its Christmas flights.

As Omicron spreads and large numbers of employees call in sick, airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with demand for flights while also keeping staff and passengers safe.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.