Oil Slips in US as COVID-19 Surge Halts Flights

Oil Slips in US as COVID-19 Surge Halts Flights
Petroleum pump jacks are pictured in the Kern River oil field in Bakersfield, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2014. Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

LONDON—U.S. oil fell on Monday after airlines called off thousands of flights over the Christmas holidays amid surging COVID-19 cases, though Brent crude gained support from hopes that the Omicron variant will have a limited impact on global demand.

More than 1,300 flights were canceled by U.S. airlines on Sunday as COVID-19 reduced the number of available crews while several cruise ships had to cancel stops.