PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some airlines across the country are experiencing major cancellations due to omicron, and they are impacting a few travelers at Philadelphia International Airport during the holiday rush.
The airport has had some omicron-related cancellations, but at this point, generally hasn’t been hit hard.
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Philadelphia Division of Aviation Public Affairs Manager Heather Redfern said, however, that could change at any point, and people should still keep an eye on the status of their flights which could change as cases rise.
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“There’s a quarantine that people, no matter what kind of job that they have, that if they’ve been exposed, they have to abide by," said Redfern.
"You need a crew to be able to fly...what’s happening with the crews, if there [is] an exposure, then they have to go into a quarantine situation.“
Avery Mills, from Sewell, New Jersey, said she’s excited to visit her family in Canada, but with COVID-19, she has a constant nagging worry about being able to make it home next week.
“We’re flying almost to Alaska, where we are going to be in Alberta, Canada," Mills said.
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"If we come back and the flights aren’t going, it’s going to be a 42-hour drive.”
Mills' worry comes from past pandemic travel experience.
"I had a flight, I think, two years ago, right when COVID started, and so I couldn't go," she said.
"I moved it out way further when the pandemic was supposed to be over and it’s not over yet, but I'm not canceling it a second time.“
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Redfern said that Thanksgiving and Christmas lead to different types of travel patterns, both of them very busy.
"Thanksgiving, you have the day before, where are you get a really large mass of people, and then the two days following," she said.
"Christmas and New Year’s holidays, it kind of stretches out a little bit more.”
Redfern said a little more than 925,000 people are expected to travel through Philadelphia International Airport between December 22 and January 4.
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"That passenger volume is about 20% less than it was in 2019, but 59% more than it was last year," said Redfern.
"People are starting to travel again.”
And see family again after not seeing them for a long time, like Stacy from the Main Line. She said the only thing she's focused on is hugging her mom.
"Seeing our family that we haven't seen in two years," she said, "so we're excited that we have the opportunity to do that."
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