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• Nearly 2,400 flights entering and departing from or within the US were among those canceled on Sunday
• Despite the increasing amount of cancellations airline shares rose during morning trading
Nearly 4000 flights were canceled on Sunday, most of them being US flights as cases related to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus surged across the world.
Reuters reported that the flights canceled by 8 PM GMT on Sunday included over 2,400 entering, departing from, or within the United States, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com. Globally, more than 11,200 flights were delayed.
More than 13,000 U.S. flights were canceled from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day which is typically a peak time for air travel. The rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and crew quarantine.
Reuters reported that the U.S. authorities registered at least 346,869 new coronavirus on Saturday while the death toll from COVID-19 rose by at least 377 to 828,562.
CNBC reported that carriers including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and JetBlue Airways reported their crews were falling sick due to the fast-spreading omicron variant, over the holidays. The Federal Aviation Administration also warned about delays as its staff increasingly tested positive for the coronavirus.
Despite the increasing amount of cancellations, investors seemed hopeful of the new year and disregarded the disruptions, as airline shares rose during morning trading.
The shares of Southwest Airlines, which canceled hundreds of flights over the past few days, were up more than 2%. American and United Airlines were up more than 5% apiece in morning trading. Delta and Alaska were trading 4% higher.
Inputs from Reuters and CNBC