Chicago Airport Delays: Hundreds Of Flights Canceled, Pushed Back

CHICAGO, IL — More than 100 flights out of Chicago were canceled Monday as the omicron coronavirus variant surges.

Flightaware, an online flight tracking service, was reporting 350 delayed flights at O'Hare, while Flychicago reported 105 flight cancellations and an average flight delay of less than 15 minutes.

At Midway, nearly 150 delayed flights were reported and 37 canceled flights, with an average delay less than 15 minutes

Airlines cited labor shortages related to the omicron surge for the cancellation of hundreds of flights over the weekend. The problems continued Monday, with more than 8,000 flights to, from and within the United States having been canceled since Christmas Eve, according to data from FlightAware.

On Monday, Flightaware was reporting 2,880 canceled flights worldwide and more than 1,100 canceled flights in the U.S.

Delta, United, JetBlue and American have all cited coronavirus staffing issues. European and Australian airlines also canceled holiday-season flights because staff were infected, but weather and other factors played a role as well, The Associated Press reported.

Chicago-based United Airlines canceled 115 of nearly 4,000 flights Monday because staff and crew members called in sick with COVID-19, the airline said.

The delayed and canceled flights come amid the busiest holiday travel period and as the Illinois Department of Public Health reports 77,246 new coronavirus cases and another 318 deaths.