Omicron forced 11k flights canceled

The aviation sector has been battered since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with countless flights grounded in 2020 as countries closed their borders. Thousands of flights have been canceled across the world since Friday as Omicron-induced restrictions hit global travel and the chaos that ensued over the Christmas weekend spilled over in the coming week. Some aviation companies are in process of cancellation of their services whereas others are staring at massive losses for two years. The new variant of the Omicron is spreading at an alarming rate. 

European countries, in particular, are reeling from the blow of the American omicron. Its impact fell on the aviation sector. Nearly 11,500 flights worldwide have been canceled since last Friday. Thousands of flights were delayed. According to flight tracker Flight Aware, nearly 3,000 flights were canceled worldwide yesterday, while 1,200 have been canceled today. During the busiest time of the year, during Christmas and New Year, there was a major disruption in the form of Omicron to air services. German’s carrier Lufthansa plans to cut 33k flight services from its winter schedule due to the spread of Omicron.

Lufthansa predicts a sharp downtrend in bookings from mid-January to February.  That’s the reason it cancels 33k flights which is equivalent to 10% of total German carriers. Lufthansa, in particular, believed that there will hugely decrease in the number of passengers traveling from Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium that is because of the pandemic. Meanwhile European airlines Ryanair has projected more than doubled its annual loss forecast and cut its January traffic estimate by 33%. Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has blamed travel restrictions imposed by several countries in European Union. Even though there is huge demand, airlines are unable to fulfill their demands because of Omicron.