A U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy time for the region’s New Year holiday. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions, and the disruptions carried over into airline schedules and passenger plans across multiple islands.
No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela that day, according to FlightRadar24.com. Even so, major airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned that disruptions could continue for days after the FAA imposed the restrictions.
Flight cancellations were reported to include flights to and from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Aruba, along with more than a dozen destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group north of Venezuela. Airlines waived change fees for passengers who had to reschedule, and many travelers looked for alternatives as flight schedules shifted.
Late Saturday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the restrictions would end at midnight Eastern time and that airlines would be able to resume normal operations Sunday. In Aruba, officials at the Queen Beatrix airport said they expected a return to normal Sunday after a day of canceled flights that stranded travelers or prevented them from reaching the island.
In Barbados, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said at a news conference that “the consequences of the conflict have been exceedingly disruptive to both of our ports of entry,” referring to an airport as well as a seaport used for cruise ships. In Puerto Rico, passengers described how quickly plans were upended after they checked their phones and learned that their flights would not operate.
One Puerto Rico-bound family, Lou Levine, his wife and their three children, were due to return to the Washington, D.C., area Saturday morning but found their flight canceled. The Levines said they first tried calling JetBlue to reschedule, and after the airline could not help immediately, they and other travelers messaged on social media. They said JetBlue later responded and booked them on a flight Saturday, turning their weeklong New Year’s holiday into a two-week sojourn.
Levine said he was able to rely on a flexible employer but described the personal and financial costs of the disruption, including missing school for his daughter and added expenses such as dog-sitting, cat-sitting and car rental. “I love it here. But we have dog-sitting and cat-sitting and car rental. It’s fine. It’s just really painful on the wallet,” Levine said.
Airlines attributed cancellations to the restricted airspace linked to military activity in Venezuela, and an announcement by Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan posted on X said the restrictions were put in place because of a “security situation related to military activity” in Venezuela. FlightAware.com reported that nearly 60% of all flights to and from the airport were canceled Saturday, and the statement said foreign airlines and military aircraft were not included in the restriction.
Some airlines reported different impacts. Air Canada said its flights to the Caribbean were operating normally and offered travelers an option to rebook, while WestJet said it canceled Aruba flights “out of an abundance of caution.” New York-based JetBlue said it canceled about 215 flights “due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity,” and Dutch carrier KLM said it canceled flights affecting thousands of passengers but planned to resume service Sunday to and from Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire and other islands.
A nearly two dozen island destinations were affected by the canceled flights, including Anguilla, Antigua, Curaçao, St. Lucia, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, while destinations farther west such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were generally not affected. For passengers trying to adjust, Southwest Airlines said it added six extra round-trip flights to Puerto Rico on Sunday’s schedule and another eight round-trips on Monday, and it added two additional Sunday flights to Aruba.
Travel advisors said the disrupted weekend would compound the stress of travel planning even after the peak 13-day holiday period had already passed. AAA projected that 122.4 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home during that period, and AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said “The Caribbean is a top destination this time of the year,” adding that many travelers were trying to get back ahead of work and school on Monday.
Diaz said it was understandable that people want “to unplug,” but urged travelers to keep track of what is happening and allow airlines to send phone alerts. Cruise travelers also reported complications tied to arriving in San Juan, and cruise operator Virgin Voyages said that passengers unable to make it for an upcoming departure could receive a full credit for a future trip.