NEW YORK, United States — A significant aviation crisis is unfolding across the Caribbean region, with travel disruptions projected to persist for several days. This follows a decisive US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, prompting immediate airspace closures and mass flight cancellations by major US carriers.
Aviation tracking data from FlightRadar24.com, as reported by ABC7 New York, revealed a complete absence of commercial air traffic over Venezuelan airspace on Saturday. The disruption originated from an official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive advising all commercial airlines to avoid a substantial portion of Caribbean airspace. The agency cited an ongoing ‘potentially hazardous situation’ and specifically identified ‘safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity’ as the primary reason for the unprecedented closure.
The cascading effects have severely impacted connectivity to numerous island nations in proximity to Venezuela. Key destinations such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Aruba are experiencing widespread cancellations. In response to the chaos, airlines have proactively implemented flexible travel policies, universally waiving change fees for passengers needing to reschedule their itineraries throughout the weekend and into the coming week.
Puerto Rico’s primary international airport faced specific temporary airspace restrictions, compounding the logistical challenges. Among the carriers, JetBlue announced the most significant cuts, canceling 215 flights within its extensive Caribbean network, though it noted services to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic continued unimpeded.
Other major airlines, including United and Southwest, executed substantial schedule adjustments. Southwest Airlines cancelled all flights to Aruba on Saturday and suspended all operations to Puerto Rico until late afternoon, while maintaining its schedule to the Dominican Republic. American Airlines published a comprehensive waiver policy covering travel to and from approximately twenty island destinations, such as Anguilla, Antigua, Curaçao, and Saint Lucia. Similarly, Delta Air Lines issued a travel waiver for customers traveling through 13 affected airports, with provisions valid through Tuesday.