Travelers push their luggage past baggage claim inside the United Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) during the holiday season as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Omicron variant threatens to increase case numbers in Los Angeles, California, U.S. December 22, 2021.
Bing Guan | Reuters
United Airlines is trimming its schedule to address a surge in sick calls among employees, CEO Scott Kirby told employees.
United has about 3,000 workers out sick with Covid, he said, which is about 4% of its workforce.
United late last year extended triple pay for pilots to pick up trips through most of January. The pilots’ union said sick calls among aviators was at a record.
JetBlue Airways was the first carrier to cut back its schedule because of a surge in infection rates among crews, which was later followed by Alaska Airlines. American Airlines said it would do the same this week as Covid rates climbed among regional carriers.
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