Airlines canceled more than 900 flights in and out of U.S. airports on Wednesday, a sign of continuing stress for the industry and travelers ahead of the New Year’s holiday weekend.The problems began to mount the day before Christmas as carriers contended with staffing shortages driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus, as well as foul winter weather. Cancellations peaked on Sunday, when more than 1,500 flights to, from or within the United States — more than 6 percent of scheduled flights — were scrubbed, according to FlightAware.On Tuesday, airlines canceled nearly 1,300 flights, led by United Airlines, which grounded about 6 percent of its trips, and Delta Air Lines, which canceled 4 percent of its schedule.The cancellations come during one of the busiest times for air travel and a …
