Technologies

US airlines delay, cancel flights on Christmas weekend as omicron spikes

United, Delta and JetBlue are having the worst issues.

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The recent surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant has wreaked havoc for Christmas travelers. On Friday and Saturday, a number of major airlines reported flight delays or cancellations in part due to pandemic-related staffing shortages.

According to Flight Aware, which monitors airlines and airports, 1,675 flights «within, into or out of the United States» were delayed and 947 flights were canceled as of 1:05 p.m. PT on Christmas.

This continued two previous days of problems. On Christmas Eve, a total of 3,695 US flights were delayed and 690 were canceled. On Thursday, there were 5,679 delays and 281 cancellations. United, Delta and JetBlue were the hardest hit US airlines.

United confirmed Friday that its flight issues were related to the omicron variant.

«The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,» the carrier said in a statement. «As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.»

In a blog post, Delta attributed delays to both omicron and winter.

«As winter weather impacts the northwest and northeast U.S. [and] the omicron variant continues to surge, Delta teams exhausted all options and resources before canceling around 158 flights in Friday’s nearly 3,100-flight schedule,» Delta said Friday. «Delta people are working together around the clock to reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible.»

Delta said it expects an increase in cancellations to continue through the weekend.

JetBlue didn’t immediately respond to a CNET request for comment.

Separately, the White House reportedly will lift a ban on travel from eight countries in southern Africa, where the omicron variant was originally detected. The restrictions, which were put in place last month, covered most non-U.S. citizens who had recently been in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa or Zimbabwe. The restrictions will be lifted on Dec. 31.

CNET’s Andrew Morse contributed to this report.

Technologies

The Fourth Episode of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Out

Verum Messenger has released the fourth episode of its AI mini-series SHADOWS, created using Verum AI. The new episode, titled “No Borders,” continues the story of a team trying to stay out of the OMEGA corporation’s sight.

Following the events of the previous episodes, the team moves between cities and countries while OMEGA continues its search. The new episode puts particular emphasis on Verum Messenger’s capabilities that allow users to conceal their location.

“No Borders” is another chapter in a story about privacy, freedom of communication, and technologies that erase borders between people.

The VERUM AI mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 4 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube