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19h ago

Caribbean Flights Canceled After U.S. Venezuela Operation as FAA Plans Overnight Reopening

The FAA imposed the closures as a safety measure after the U.S. operation in Venezuela, with the transport chief saying they will lift overnight.

CORRECTION / Passengers wait at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport as all flights are cancelled following US military action in Venezuela, on January 3, 2026, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on the South American country. "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump said on Truth Social. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Luis Munoz Marin International Airport] instead of [José Aponte De la Torre Airport]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require."
Image
Passengers walk near queue barriers, after flights were delayed and cancelled when the airspace was closed due to U.S. strikes on Venezuela overnight, at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, near San Juan, Puerto Rico January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
Passengers rest on the ground, after flights were delayed and cancelled when the airspace was closed due to U.S. strikes on Venezuela overnight, at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, near San Juan, Puerto Rico January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo

Overview

  • Major U.S. carriers scrubbed hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean after emergency FAA notices restricted airspace following strikes that captured Nicolás Maduro, according to U.S. officials.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the restrictions would end overnight (midnight ET/5 a.m. GMT), with airlines expected to update schedules and begin restoring service Sunday.
  • San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International reported 300-plus cancellations and wider Puerto Rico airport suspensions, amplifying ripple effects across island connections and cruise departures.
  • JetBlue canceled about 215 flights and, along with American, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit and Frontier, issued waivers allowing rebooking or refunds; routes to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were generally unaffected.
  • FlightRadar24 showed no commercial overflights of Venezuela, while some non-U.S. operators, including Air Canada, maintained operations under their national guidance as airlines warned full normalization could take days.