If the first 2 day of the year is any indication of how 2022 is going to pan out, folks we are in for another rough ride. Reuters reported that over 4000 flights were canceled over the holiday period with half of them recorded in US alone, this is due to both bad weather situations and the rise in Covid-19 cases amidst the Omicron wave.
Among the airlines affected were SkyWest and Southwest with 510 and 419 cancellations respectively which recorded the highest numbers. New Year travel which is usually a peak time had also been affected, with revelers putting of travel plans and deciding to celebrate quietly with families and friends. Adding to the airline woes was when many of the cabin crew and pilots reported positive for Covid-19, thus rendering them ineffective to the already depleted workforce.
Globally more than 11,200 flights were delayed, however, the main concern that is affecting flight disruption is Omicron. The spread of the variant has already hit most of the countries across the world with surge in cases reported in Europe, India, US, China, and the Middle East. Companies in US are already instructing employees to work from home till further notice as Omicron-related cases hit high digits, this has even prompted Chief Medical Advisor, Anthony Fauci to warn Americans to practice mask-wearing at all times, with the number of patients in hospitals going up.
In Malaysia, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has also acted swiftly by canceling Umrah flights after high number of Omicron cases were detected coming from those returning from Saudi Arabia. Travel agencies and airlines will be affected once again, the tourism sector is always the first to shut and last to reopen when a situation like this arises. Although Omicron shows evidence as not being as serious in terms of health hazards, those without inoculation or core morbidity will be susceptible to side effects.
