Airlines face uncertain winter as Omicron stalls travel rebound

Airlines face an uncertain few weeks as the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant upends what’s traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year for flight sales.

Ryanair Holdings Plc slashed its earnings guidance Wednesday as travel restrictions related to the strain weakened Christmas and New Year bookings. Other carriers will likely be assessing their capacity plans, according to Bernstein analyst Alex Irving.

“Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air all operate in broadly the same market,” he said. “It’s highly unlikely the same pressures affecting Ryanair aren’t hitting other airlines.”