JetBlue Airways has Canceled Over 1280 Flights Due to Covid-19

Dec 30, 2021 By MarketDepth

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JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) has opted to cancel over 1,280 flights starting Thursday through mid-January as Covid-19 infections continue to surge among its staff members.

“We expect the number of Covid cases in the northeast — where most of our crewmembers are based — to continue to surge for the next week or two. This means there is a high likelihood of additional cancellations until case counts start to come down.”

JetBlue spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters

The company along with other carriers such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, have canceled over 4.000 flights since Christmas Eve as they battle bad weather and the ongoing consequences from the pandemic.

“This past week has been one of our most difficult operating periods during the pandemic. The exponential growth in Omicron cases over just a couple of days is at a level that no one could reasonably prepare for.”

Three JetBlue department leaders wrote Tuesday in a note to staff, which was seen by CNBC

Furthermore, they said that the carrier would reduce flights “to get even further ahead of the expected increase in Omicron cases.”

17% of Schedule

On Thursday, JetBlue canceled 173 flights, 17% of its schedule and canceled a total of over 1,000 flights nationwide, according to FlightAware.