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4w ago

U.S. Airlines Resume Caribbean Flights as FAA Lifts Restrictions After Venezuela Operation

The FAA’s temporary Caribbean airspace limits expired at midnight, allowing U.S. carriers to restart service.

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."
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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

Overview

  • United and Delta restarted service to Puerto Rico and other islands on Sunday as schedules were rebuilt, with American adding about 3,000 seats and JetBlue planning a return to normal operations.
  • The FAA had barred U.S. commercial flights over parts of the eastern Caribbean on Saturday due to safety risks from military activity in Venezuela that, according to President Trump, led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
  • San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International recorded more than 300 cancellations and flight trackers showed no commercial overflights of Venezuela, stranding thousands during a peak travel weekend.
  • American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit issued widespread waivers and rebooking options across more than a dozen island airports, and some flights rerouted or added capacity to accommodate disruptions.
  • Foreign airlines and military aircraft were exempt from the U.S. order, and industry officials cautioned that restoring normal operations will take several days despite the restriction’s expiration.