Omicron: massive flight cancellations in the United States

(Boursier.com) – US airlines yesterday canceled about a thousand flights for the third day in a row. Airlines on Sunday canceled more than 1,000 domestic and international flights, more than Christmas Day, according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware.com. The spread of the Omicron variant is shaking up vacation travel plans as isolation requirements force more pilots and crew to self-quarantine. According to FlightAware, the string of days of massive cancellations has therefore continued.

Airline industry groups have called on the CDC to reduce the isolation time for infected vaccinated workers to five instead of 10 days after returning from a negative test. Last week, the CDC recommended reducing that isolation time to five days for some healthcare workers and faces pressure to adjust guidelines more broadly, as industries face staff shortages due to growing infections that are forcing more people into isolation. The availability of rapid antigenic tests and treatments strengthens the case for a shorter isolation period.