The airline industry took a further pummeling over the busy New Year’s Day weekend, with over 4,000 flights being canceled on Jan. 2 alone, more than half of the total, numbering 2,377 in the United States alone. More than 11,200 flights on Sunday were delayed worldwide according to FlightAware.com, a site that collects commercial air traffic data. The delays came during one of the biggest travel periods of the season, with travel numbers approaching pre-pandemic levels. The weekend ended a disastrous holiday travel season where more than 13,000 U.S. flights were canceled from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. Staffing shortages, adverse winter weather conditions, and the surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant continue to disrupt travel. Meanwhile, the spread of the new Omicron variant has put a damper on New Year festivities around the world as governments instituted restrictions on public gatherings and travel. Southwest was …