US flight cancellations continue to snowball due to weather, virus
Airlines canceled thousands more flights in recent days as the industry tried to move past its holiday hangover.
Bad weather and coronavirus outbreaks among workers continued to disrupt schedules across the United States, but airlines have also called off many recent flights, in advance, so they can correct course at a traditionally slow time for travel without surprising customers with last-minute cancellations.
About 5,000 flights were canceled from Friday through Sunday, according to FlightAware, a data tracking service, with the daily number of cuts declining steadily over that period.
Southwest Airlines suspended over 1,000 flights, more than any other carrier. SkyWest Airlines, which operates flights for several major carriers, and United Airlines each canceled more than 500 flights.
The turmoil began before Christmas, caused by bad weather in the West and staff shortages because of virus outbreaks among employees. Snowfall in the Northeast continued to wreak havoc at major airport hubs across the country into the first weekend of this month.
“Given the ongoing surge in COVID cases and related sick calls, we’ve been working with each of our major partners to proactively reduce our January schedules,” SkyWest said.
The airline operates flights for United, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
After canceling flights at high rates over the holidays, JetBlue Airways said it would preemptively cut about 1,300 flights in the first half of January. Alaska said last week that it would slash about 1 in 10 flights planned for the month to gain “the flexibility and capacity needed to reset.”
As in many other industries, airlines are also contending with workers calling in sick at high rates as the omicron virus variant surges.
To deal with staffing shortages, many carriers have started offering extra pay to those who were otherwise not scheduled to work.
AOC tests positive: New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has tested positive for COVID-19 and “is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home,” her office said in a statement Sunday evening.
The Democratic congresswoman’s office said Ocasio-Cortez received a booster in the fall, adding that she “encourages everyone to get their booster” and follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Johnson reelection: Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest backers, announced Sunday that he will seek reelection in the battleground state, breaking his promise not to seek a third term.
Johnson announced his decision via email two days after a pair of Republicans with knowledge of his decision said he was close to launching a bid. Johnson has also been a leading voice in downplaying the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson, 66, had long said his preference was to serve just two terms and pledged in 2016 not to run a third time.
But Johnson rescinded the pledge in the lead-up to
Pope Francis announcing his reelection bid, saying circumstances have changed after Democrats won the White House and control of Congress.
Wisconsin ice rescue: Authorities rescued 27 people from a floating chunk of ice that broke away from shore in the bay of Green Bay in eastern Wisconsin, the sheriff ’s office said Sunday.
No injuries were reported in the incident that happened Saturday north of Green Bay, in the arm that’s part of Lake Michigan, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office reported. Many of the 27 people rescued were ice fishing at the time of the incident.
Authorities said the stranded people were on the ice for about 90 minutes.
Gas prices drop: The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline dropped 2 cents over the past three weeks to $3.39 per gallon.
Industry analyst Trilby
Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that prices at the pump could start increasing again because crude oil costs are rising.
Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco Bay Area, at $4.74 per gallon. The lowest average is in Houston, at $2.79 per gallon.
Omicron in China: The major port of Tianjin may be facing China’s first outbreak of omicron of any size, less than four weeks before the Winter Olympics open in nearby Beijing.
The city began mass testing of its 14 million residents Sunday after a cluster of 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, including at least two with the omicron variant.
China has stepped up its zero tolerance strategy in the run-up to the Olympics, which open Feb. 4. The Chinese capital is 70 miles northwest of Tianjin and many people regularly travel back and forth by car or on a high-speed rail link that takes less than one hour.
Brazil cliff collapse: The death toll from an accident in which a slab of cliff rock toppled onto pleasure boaters on a Brazilian lake has risen to 10, police said Sunday.
Police Chief Marcos Pimenta said there was a possibility that some people were missing following the accident Saturday in Minas Gerais state. At least 32 people were injured, though most were released from hospitals by Saturday evening.
Officials suggested the wall coming loose could have been related to heavy rains recently that caused flooding in the state and forced almost 17,000 people out of their homes.
Saudi princess released: A Saudi princess, a critic of her country’s government who was jailed nearly three years ago after publicly questioning government policy, has been released, a legal adviser to her family said Sunday.
The princess, Basmah bint Saud, returned home Thursday with her daughter Suhoud al-Sharif, who was imprisoned with her, according to the legal adviser, Henri Estramant.
Princess Basmah was among a number of prominent Saudi activists, dissidents and members of the royal family either jailed or put under house arrest during the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The prince has consolidated his grip on the kingdom since his father, King Salman, ascended to the throne in 2015.
A number of prominent people, including two sons of the previous monarch, King Abdullah, remain in detention, according to their associates, and information continues to come to light about the mistreatment of some detainees.