Aeromexico stops some flights because ‘domino effect’ COVID-19 hits crews – union

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MEXICO CITY – More than 70 pilots of Grupo Aeromexico tested positive for coronavirus during an outbreak of Omicron infections, which led to 22 canceled flights, said the union representing the pilots of the Mexican airline.

Jose Suarez, press secretary of the ASPA Pilots Association, told Milenio television that the cases had a “domino effect”, forcing Aeromexico to isolate entire crews to prevent the virus from spreading.

ASPA Secretary General Jose Gual told the same TV station that the pilots who were positive make up 5% of the Aeromexic pilots represented by ASPA.

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He added that the layoffs represent 5% of Aeromexic operations and that planes headed to the Mexican cities of Guadalajara, Cancun and Monterrey, plus an international flight, were affected.

Among Aeromex stewardesses, 140 were positive, according to a statement from the Mexican Stewardess Union (ASSA) on Thursday.

An additional 65 flight attendants were suspended for not having valid travel documents, ASSA said.

Absent workers represent 10.3% of the airline’s staff, the statement added.

“We are seeing a pretty serious wave of infections,” said Gual from ASPA. He attributed the jump to a highly contagious variant of Omicron that has sparked airlines around the world https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/airlines-grapple-with-omicron-related-disruptions-start-off-2022-2022 -01- 02 for canceling hundreds of flights during the busy winter travel season.

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Aeromexico said the new expansion of COVID-19 affected “some flights”, without giving details.

“The safety of our customers and associates is and will always be a top priority,” Aeromexic said in a statement.

The company did not answer questions about COVID-19 cases among pilots and crew members, or about exactly how many flights were canceled.

Mexico is likely to exceed 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-nears-300000-deaths-covid-19-cases-surge-after-holidays-2022-01-06 this week as the contagion grows after the holiday season, fueled by Omicron and mostly unlimited tourism in Mexico City and destinations on Cancun and Los Cabos beaches. (Reporting by Daine Beth Solomon, Kylie Madry and Valentine Hilaire; editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)