Around 8,000 flights were cancelled globally between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day as airlines experienced staff shortages due to COVID-19.

Approximately 3,000 of the cancelled flights were in or out of the United States, where the highly transmissible Omicron COVID variant is causing a surge in infections, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com

The website’s tally showed 14,269 flights were delayed on Boxing Day, 3,099 were called off and of those, 1,369 were in the US.

As of 2.30am on Monday, 1,176 flights had already been cancelled around the world, with 268 of them being to or from the States.

A total of 678 had been delayed.

COVID booster drive ramps up with 1.5 million vaccine slots available until 3 January – amid new rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

COVID-19: Hundreds in Australia mistakenly told coronavirus test result was negative when they were positive

COVID-19: New restrictions come into force in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Christmas period is typically a peak time for travel but this year it has coincided with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which has caused many airlines to cancel flights while pilots and cabin crew self-isolate.

A Delta spokesperson said on Sunday: “Winter weather in portions of the US and the Omicron variant continued to impact Delta’s holiday weekend flight schedule.”

They added the airline was working to “reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers where they need to be as quickly and safely as possible”.

Infections have risen sharply in many parts of the US, with New York state’s health department warning it had recorded a “startling” four-fold increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions for children under 18 since the week beginning 5 December.

A White House official, who asked not to be named, said despite the mess at some airports that “we’re in a better place than last Christmas” and noted that “only a small percentage of flights are affected”.

Cruise ships also affected by COVID surge

Several cruises have also been affected by COVID-19, according to multiple media reports.

A Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ship returned to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, CNN reported, and on Sunday a Carnival Corp ship went back to Miami after positive COVID cases were detected onboard.

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Carnival said “a small number on board were isolated due to a positive COVID test” onboard its Carnival Freedom ship that returned to Miami and left later on Sunday for its next trip with another round of passengers.

A Holland America ship also returned to San Diego on Sunday after Mexican authorities banned it from docking in Puerto Vallarta citing an active outbreak on board, NBC News and Fox News reported.

Omicron was first detected in November and now accounts for nearly three-quarters of US cases and as many as 90% in some areas, such as the Eastern Seaboard.

Related posts:

‘I’m not taking this lying down’: California Governor Gavin Newsom faces recall campaign ‘Ready for the pop?’: US police mock dementia sufferer whose shoulder ‘dislocates’ during arrest Two ‘high profile’ ISIS-K fighters killed and third wounded in Afghanistan airstrike, Pentagon confirms Mother punches mountain lion to save son, five, from savage attack NASA delays launch of new James Webb Space Telescope after ‘incident’ More than £1.1m raised for American man jailed for 43 years for murders he didn’t commit Tiger shot dead after biting arm of zoo cleaner Couple with four children die on same day after contracting COVID – and family encourages others to get vaccinated Twitter permanently suspends US politician’s personal account over COVID-19 misinformation ‘This is unprecedented’: Hundreds of drivers stranded overnight on motorway as heavy snow prompts chaos Ghislaine Maxwell juror calls Epstein’s accomplice a ‘predator’ and describes his own sexual abuse ordeal ‘He spread a web of lies’: Biden blasts Trump as he condemns political violence to mark one year since US Capitol riots