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SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Delta and United Airlines Friday canceled several flights at San Diego International Airport, attributing the cancellations to complications from the omicron COVID-19 variant and inclement weather in some parts of the country.

“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” said United Airlines spokesperson Maddie King. “As a result, we have unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.

“We are sorry for the disruption and are working hard to re-book as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays.”

King said United flies an average of 4,000 flights daily during the holiday season, pointing out Friday’s cancellations “represent a small portion of those flights.”

On delta.com, the airline posted a notification about its canceled flights.

“As winter weather impacts the Northwest and Northeast U.S, the Omicron variant continues to surge, and Delta teams exhausted all options and resources before canceling around 158 flights in today’s nearly 3,100-flight schdeule,” Delta said. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans. Delta people are working together around the clock to reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible. When that is not possible, Delta reservations specialists coordinate with our operations and customer center to get those impacted on the next available flight.”

Delta said a combination of issues, including but not limited to inclement weather in some parts of the country coupled with impacts of the omicron variant are “driving cancellations and potential delays.” Delta said upwards of 150 flight cancellations per day are expected both Saturday and Sunday this holiday weekend.

Customers are encouraged to check their flight status and manage their re-booking on delta.com or via the Fly Delta mobile app. Updates can also be sent directly to a mobile device or by email.

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