Passengers travelling home for Christmas have been hit with disruption worldwide after airline companies canceled more than 2,000 flights on Friday.
The Omicron coronaviruses variant meant that carriers were unable to staff their flights on Christmas Eve.
China Eastern and Air China were two of the five firms that canceled the most journeys. Air India 160 and Delta called off 127 flights.
448 Christmas Eve flights were canceled in the US, according to the flight tracking firm.
The spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation. United said on Thursday that it had to cancel some flights and notify impacted customers in advance of them arriving at the airport.
Delta said it had exhausted all of its options and resources before cancelling around 90 flights for Friday.
The Omicron variant was blamed for the cancellation.
In response to the pre-holiday chaos, airlines have called for relaxation of the quachicles for vaccine staff.
Ed Bastian, the chief executive of Delta, asked the CDC to reduce the self-isolation period for people who have had a vaccine. The request was seconded by Airlines for America and JetBlue.
The Omicron variant caused airlines to cancel many flights on Christmas Eve, causing frustrated passengers to ask for assistance.
Is Delta really? You cancel my flight on Christmas Eve? One passenger on the airline said on Friday that they didn't see the cancellation until they got to the airport to check their bags.
