LAX delays, cancellations caused by severe weather, COVID

Omicron surge prompts JetBlue to cut flights through mid-January

The surge of COVID-19 cases of the omicron variant has caused JetBlue to cut flights through the middle of January.

LOS ANGELES - A perfect storm of heavy rains and short-staffed airlines has wreaked havoc on travelers in and out of Los Angeles International airport this week. It started on Christmas Eve, when United Airlines and Delta Airlines canceled dozens of flights because of staff shortages tied to the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Combined Delta, United and American have canceled around 2,000 flights since Christmas Eve. According to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights and cancellations, More than 1,000 flights into or out of LAX have been either canceled or delayed between Wednesday, Dec. 29 and Thursday, Dec. 30.

On Thursday, many Delta customers arriving at LAX took to social media to complain about delays on runways, some waiting for hours to get to the gate.

"We apologize to our customers arriving in Los Angeles for the delay in their travel plans," Delta said in a statement. "A combination of issues, including but not limited to inclement weather with heavy rainfall in Los Angeles and the impact of the omicron variant, are driving operational challenges. Delta teams are working hard to get our customers to the gate safely."

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For some airlines, the difficulties are expected to continue until at least a few weeks into the new year. JetBlue is canceling more than 1,200 flights through Jan. 13.

"Like many businesses and organizations, we have seen a surge in the number of sick calls from Omicron," JetBlue said in a statement to FOX11. "We entered the holiday season with the highest staffing levels we've had since the pandemic began and are using all resources available to cover our staffing needs."

Alaska Airlines is also offering flexible rescheduling and cancellations on flights for tickets purchased on or before Dec. 28, for flights scheduled through Feb. 16.

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