Alaska Airlines Has Cut Almost 200 Flights Out of Portland's International Airport
The flights were scheduled to depart in February and March.
After the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Portland Business Journal reported that Alaska Airlines has experienced "unprecedented" sick calls. Now, the airline is a lot of flights out of the Portland International Airport. According to flight data company Cirium, the airline will cut 194 scheduled flights between February and March.
The cuts in Portland are part of the 1,200 cuts the airline is making in the first quarter of this year. Some flights being canceled means specific routes will be eliminated entirely. Alaska Airlines is cutting 59 flights from Portland to Denver, 29 to Boston, and 15 to Minneapolis in February and March.
An additional 32 flights to San Francisco, 22 to Hollywood, and 15 to both Chicago and Oakland are also being cut from Alaska's schedule with seven more flight cuts expected to be added. Alaska Airlines is Portland's largest airline carrier, with over 1,200 flights a month, local news outlet KGW8 reports.
Alaska Airlines' cancellations are part of a more significant trend of cancellations across all airlines, as carriers struggle to match flight availability with the ever-changing demand caused by COVID. If you dread flight delays and cancellations, check out Thrillist's guide to preparing to fly.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.