TAMPA, Fla. — The spread of the omicron variant is causing staffing shortages at airports, and the wintry weather in the Midwest and Northeast over the weekend is making the situation worse.
By Saturday night, Tampa International Airport reported 73 delays and 29 cancellations. Across the country, there were reports of more than 4,100 delays and 1,300 hundred cancellations, according to FlightAware.
Jeth Rey of Tampa booked two flights to the area "just to make sure I got on a plane."
Rey said he and his wife have been nervous about missed flights due to omicron's spread.
"It was a perfect storm that came over the holidays," Mark Weinkrantz, aviation expert said.
Weinkrantz said amid disruptions from the busiest travel season of the year, pilot shortages were already a problem pre-pandemic.
He said while airline companies provide layers of protection from the coronavirus like strong ventilation in the aircraft, staff are still susceptible to transmission through different scenarios.
"They're all exposed and they're all just people," Weinkrantz said. "They face the same challenges."
Federal law covers long delays and cancellations should a passenger decide not to rebook a flight but each airline company has its own set of rules.
Travel experts suggest people invest extra dollars into travel insurance. While it is not legally required, companies may provide compensation for meals or hotels. However, travel experts said that mainly applies to staffing shortages, not bad weather or widespread illnesses.
Weinkrantz said it's important to note airline workers are doing everything they can amid omicron disruptions.
"Understand that everybody at the airport from the people you see at the curb to the pilots and flight attendants at the aircraft are doing everything to fulfill that obligation to move you safely from one place to the other," Weinkrantz said.