Hundreds of Caribbean Flights Canceled as FAA Restricts Airspace Near Venezuela

Major U.S. airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the Caribbean on Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace in the region following U.S. military strikes in Venezuela, stranding travelers.

The disruption was heaviest in Puerto Rico. About 400 flights to and from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan were canceled, roughly 60 percent of the day’s schedule, according to FlightAware data cited by CNBC. In Aruba, 91 flights were canceled at Queen Beatrix International Airport, more than half of Saturday’s flights, CNBC reported. CBS News said the San Juan airport cited a “security situation related to military activity” in Venezuela, and that foreign airlines and military aircraft were exempt from the restriction. No airline flights crossed Venezuela on Saturday, FlightRadar24 data showed, per CBS.

JetBlue canceled about 215 flights, though its flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected, both outlets reported. American Airlines canceled all of its Eastern Caribbean flights for the day, CNBC said. Southwest canceled all of its Aruba flights and suspended Puerto Rico service for the rest of the day, while flights to the Dominican Republic continued, according to CBS. Delta, United and Frontier were also affected. KLM warned of possible disruption to flights involving Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, according to CNBC, and Air Canada said its operations were normal, CBS reported.

Airlines moved quickly to ease rebooking. Delta issued a travel waiver covering 13 affected airports through Tuesday, and American waived change fees for travel to and from about 20 island destinations, including Antigua, Curacao, Saint Lucia and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, CBS reported. United adjusted its schedule and allowed free itinerary changes in its Venezuela-region network. JetBlue passengers could rebook or take refunds, CBS said. CNBC reported that carriers waived change fees and fare differences for customers who rebook to later in the month, with more than a dozen regional airports included.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the restrictions would be lifted “when appropriate,” and advised passengers to work directly with their airlines. CBS reported that the FAA gave no end time for the Puerto Rico restriction in its notice, and CNBC said crews stranded by the closures may need extra time to reposition after the limits end.

Few U.S. flights touch Venezuela itself. Major American airlines have not served the country directly for years, CNBC noted, with American Airlines the last major U.S. carrier to stop flying there, in 2019. The effects fell instead on the islands that sit close to Venezuela’s coast and on the Americans traveling to them, including those in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.