FAA warns of potential flight delays due to increased COVID cases among employees
FAA warns of potential flight delays
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning that travelers may face delays in the coming days due to an increased number of employees testing positive for COVID-19 -- at a time when Americans have been dogged by flight cancellations due to the ongoing pandemic.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning that travelers may face delays in the coming days due to an increased number of employees testing positive for COVID-19 -- at a time when Americans have been dogged by flight cancellations due to the ongoing pandemic.
An FAA spokesperson told Fox News that weather and heavy seasonal traffic will contribute to some travel delays in the coming days around New Year's Day.
"Like the rest of the U.S. population, an increased number of FAA employees have tested positive for COVID-19," the spokesperson said. "To maintain safety, traffic volume at some facilities could be reduced, which might result in delays during busy periods."
It comes at a time when airlines have canceled thousands of flights over the holiday period. Flight-tracking service FlightAware showed 1,222 cancellations and 860 delays within, into, or out of the U.S. around 9:30 a.m. ET.
Ten percent of United Airlines flights were canceled and 4% were delayed, 14% of JetBlue Airways flights were canceled and 8% were delayed and 4% of Delta Air Lines flights were canceled and 7% were delayed, according to the real-time flight status tracker.
Although still trailing 2019 numbers, the tally of people flying this holiday season far exceeds last year's total.
The Transportation Security Administration expects the Monday after New Year’s to be one of the busiest days of the holiday season.
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