Global airlines cancel more than 2,000 Christmas flights amid COVID surge, US December 22, 2021. REUTERS

As of Friday morning, global airlines had collectively canceled more than 2,000 flights, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Iran PressAmerica: Chicago-based United on Thursday canceled 120 flights for Friday, while Atlanta-based Delta said it had canceled about 90. Both said they were working to contact passengers so they would not be stranded at airports.

FlightAware on Friday said United has now canceled 169 flights on Christmas Eve and Delta has canceled 127, along with another 50 canceled flights for United on Christmas and 89 for Delta.

The flight-tracking firm said the current number of Christmas Eve flights canceled globally is 2,029, with 448 canceled in the United States.

After millions of people made December travel plans, the omicron variant quickly grew to account for nearly three-fourths of COVID cases and triggered new pandemic measures, including travel restrictions around the world.

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