Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic, has been grappling with a wave of flight delays and cancellations since Friday, primarily affecting routes to and from the United States. This disruption is part of a broader aviation crisis in the U.S., triggered by a severe shortage of air traffic controllers. Over the past 24 hours, the Santiago terminal has joined numerous airports across the continent experiencing operational chaos, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and creating scenes of frustration and uncertainty. According to a spokesperson from Cibao International Airport’s communications department, at least seven scheduled flights to or from major U.S. cities such as New York, Boston, and San Juan have been rescheduled. These flights, primarily operated by JetBlue Airways and United Airlines, include JetBlue 837 from New York, rescheduled from 8:34 p.m. to 11:20 p.m., and JetBlue 337, also from New York, moved from 11:12 p.m. to 11:39 p.m. Other affected flights include JetBlue 2137 from New York, delayed from 3:33 p.m. to 4:46 p.m., and United 1624 from Newark, postponed from 2:53 p.m. to 5:33 p.m. JetBlue 2723 from Boston was also delayed from 5:43 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Notably, JetBlue 1607 from San Juan maintained its scheduled departure at 4:15 p.m., standing out as one of the few unaffected flights. The root of this crisis lies in the partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government, which has left thousands of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees unable to work due to the lack of a budget extension. While international flights, including those connecting Santiago with U.S. cities, are not the most directly impacted, the uncertainty continues to unsettle travelers and airport operators. Cibao International Airport, a key hub for international connections in the Dominican Republic, remains on high alert as the situation unfolds.
Cibao Airport is experiencing delays to and from the United States due to air traffic controllers
