Lufthansa cancels a number of flights

FRANKFURT: German nationwide service Lufthansa cancelled a number of transatlantic flights round Christmas, after the choice of pilots calling in unwell was once more than standard for this time of 12 months, a spokesman mentioned the day prior to this. Requested whether or not the absences have been related to the brand new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the spokesman mentioned he “may no longer speculate” as he didn’t have any details about the reasons of sickness.

In overall, the airline has been compelled to awl six flights between December 23 and 26, together with services and products to Chicago, Boston and Washington. The loss of workforce got here regardless of Lufthansa’s “giant deliberate reserves” of workforce, the spokesman mentioned. The airline business has been battered because the starting of the coronavirus pandemic, with numerous flights grounded in 2020 as nations closed their borders.

The emergence of the Omicron has raised issues that the extra transmissible variant may result in extra shuttle restrictions with a knock-on impact for the business. Germany has positioned stricter limits on travellers coming from the UK and South Africa, amongst others, the place the brand new variant has led to a surge in circumstances. Lufthansa posted its first running benefit because the starting of the pandemic within the 3rd quarter of this 12 months, after a hard 18 months.

The service booked an underlying, or running lack of 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion) in 2020 and became to the state for give a boost to. In November, Lufthansa introduced it had completed paying again the nine-billion-euro bailout it gained from the federal government previous than deliberate. Swedish nationwide service SAS on Wednesday additionally cancelled 9 flights because of the coronavirus, after hanging some 30 flights international the day sooner than.— AFP