3,000 United Employees Sick With COVID-19; Flights Rescheduled

United Airlines Chief Executive Oscar Munoz (L) and President Scott Kirby testify before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about oversight of U.S. airline customer service on May 2. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

United Airlines is canceling near-term flights amid a surge in COVID-19 infection cases resulting in almost 3,000 employees calling in sick as a recent memo from the company’s chief executive upheld its stance on vaccine mandates.

“In addition to impacting our operation and our customers, I also know that Omicron has affected the personal well-being of our United team,” United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby said on Jan. 11. “We have about 3,000 employees who are currently positive for COVID. Just as an example, in one day alone at Newark, [New Jersey,] nearly one-third of our workforce called out sick.”