AMERICAN AIRLINES CANCELLATIONS PILE UP AS THEY RECORDED 36 VICTIMS TESTING POSITIVE TO THE OMICRON VIRUS. ALL FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED FROM HOUSTON TEXAS AS THE OMICRON COVID VIRUS PREVENTS HOLIDAY TRAVELS

 

American Airlines had more than 180 cancellations affecting more

than 16,000 customers, even though competitors Delta and United are more troubled by crew shortages.

Travelers queue up at the American Airlines check-in counter in Denver International Airport on Sunday. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to COVID-19 to extend the nation's travel problems beyond Christmas.(David Zalubowski / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Nationwide, airlines canceled nearly 1,000 flights For the week, although reported weather and technology problems are adding further complications for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and regional carrier SkyWest. That was after more than 1,500 cancellations nationwide on Sunday.

“The coronavirus is moving through aviation crews as it is moving through the general population,” said a note from airline analyst Helane Becker with Cowen. “Flight cancellations over the weekend totaled 3,200 flights, and there are another 1,000 flights canceled so far today.”

The cancellations come as airports face another uptick in travel with more than 2 million passengers going through TSA checkpoints Sunday and more than 34 million expected during the holiday season.

American Airlines escaped the problems that hampered Delta and United before Christmas as those airlines sidelined hundreds of flights because of a lack of pilots and flight attendants, causing problems for thousands of passengers hoping to connect with family for the holidays.

An American Airlines spokesman said Sunday that the airline was preemptively canceling flights due to “a number of COVID-related sick calls.”

“We proactively notified affected customers yesterday and are working hard to rebook them quickly,” American Airlines spokesman Derek Walls said. “We never want to disappoint our customers and apologize for any disruptions to their holiday travel plans.”

But American started to see sick calls increase on Christmas day from pilots, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the union for American pilots. Those calls increased Sunday and into Monday, with about 170 flights canceled on the latter two days.

American’s cancellations are spread throughout the country, Tajer said, and the operational challenges don’t seem to be causing the kinds of snowballing failures that crippled airlines in the fall and summer. DFW International Airport, American’s largest hub, had 38 cancellations Monday, according to Flightaware.com.

The CDC is reporting the biggest spike in new COVID-19 cases since January, and White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci told MSNBC Monday that the U.S. should even consider a vaccine requirement for domestic travel.

“Omicron is very different,” Fauci told MSNBC. “It has an extraordinary capability of transmitting from person to person.”

Southwest Airlines had about 50 cancellations Monday, according to Flightaware.com, but the carrier attributed all of its operational challenges to snow and weather issues in the western United States.

Airlines such as American have worked for more than 20 months to keep pilots healthy and able to work through the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAA calls for a 10-day quarantine after pilots test positive for the coronavirus or come into contact with someone who tested positive.

Those types of requirements, as well as seasonal colds and flus, are limiting crew availability across the country. Last week, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines asked the CDC to reduce the quarantine to five days. On Monday, the CDC reduced its recommended quarantine time for people with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 from 10 days to five, followed by at least five days of wearing a mask in public.

Tajer said pilots at American Airlines may be skeptical about coming into work if they have any signs of illness, particularly because COVID-19 tests are difficult to procure in some parts of the country.

These kinds of staffing issues are becoming increasingly challenging for airlines and other businesses trying to balance keeping workers healthy with the need to keep operating.