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Canada’s WestJet cancelling 15% of January flights due to COVID-19 surge -Breaking

by Mike Robinson

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© Reuters. FILEPHOTO: WestJet signage at Vancouver’s International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia Canada on February 5, 2019 REUTERS/Ben Nelms/File Photo

Nia Williams

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters – Canada’s WestJet Airlines announced Thursday that 15% of its scheduled January flights will be cancelled due to Omicron variation of COVID-19 rapidly spreading. This has made it impossible for the airline to staff fully, as the company stated on Thursday.

WestJet’s Calgary headquarters, located in Alberta, made the announcement after several cancellations caused by North American coronavirus cases rising and harsh winter weather.

A 35% increase in COVID-19 is causing 181 WestJet workers to be absent from work, Morgan Bell, WestJet spokesperson, stated in an email.

WestJet operated around 450 flights per day, which means that 68 daily departures are at risk. Bell stated that warm-weather destinations as well as domestic and international flights would be affected.

In a statement, WestJet chief executive Harry Taylor stated that “We couldn’t have predicted the rapid and unexpected impact of Omicron variant upon our people and operations combined with prolonged frigid temps across Western Canada and global staffing shortfalls.”

WestJet stated that it would try to combine flights in a way that causes the least disruption and will notify passengers well in advance.

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