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Air travel headaches may be sticking around a bit longer.
The Federal Aviation Administration is warning travelers of possible upcoming delays due to weather, holiday travel and an uptick in employees testing positive for COVID-19.
“Like the rest of the U.S. population, an increased number of FAA employees have tested positive for COVID-19,” the FAA said in a statement to PEOPLE on Friday. “To maintain safety, traffic volume at some facilities could be reduced, which might result in delays during busy periods.”
Transportation Security Administration expectsover 10 million holiday travelerswill visit U.S. airports through Jan. 3, according to CNN. The agency told the outlet on Thursday that it currently has “adequate staff to cover flight schedules and passenger volumes.”
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The emergence of the omicron variant has significantly complicated the busy holiday travel season, leaving thousands of people stranded across the U.S. More than11,000 flightshave been canceled since Christmas Eve, according to CNN.
Over 900 flightswere canceled and more than 1,000 were delayed across various airlines on Christmas Day.Hundreds of otherswere also canceled and delayed on Christmas Eve, impacting holiday plans for families nationwide.
“The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” a spokesperson for United told PEOPLE in a statement over the holiday weekend. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”
“We’re sorry for the disruption and are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays,” the statement added.
Delta Air Lines also apologized to travelers for its respective cancelations and delays and the impact it had on families' plans.
“Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying — before canceling,” a spokesperson for the airline told PEOPLE.
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source: people.com
