Thousands of Flights Canceled Amid COVID-19 Omicron Surge

Passengers line up at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, on Dec. 26, 2021. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights worldwide on Dec. 26 after U.S. air carriers scrapped about 1,000 on Christmas Day, citing staffing issues related to COVID-19.

At least 2,162 cancellations were reported around the world on Dec. 26, with 669 in the United States, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. Some 5,900 flights were also delayed.