Flights to Caribbean to Resume After US-Venezuela Strikes

Air Travel Resumes in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico

Air travel in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico is set to resume at midnight on January 4, following a period of significant disruptions caused by U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro. The resumption of flights comes after hundreds of flights were canceled due to airspace restrictions.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the lifting of these restrictions in a post on X on January 3. He stated that airlines would be informed and would update their schedules accordingly. "Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions," Duffy wrote.

Impact on Flights from San Juan

Earlier on January 3, the airspace in Puerto Rico was restricted, leading to the cancellation of flights from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan. According to a statement from the airport, at least 150 flights departing from this hub, which is the busiest in the Caribbean, were canceled. An additional 140 flights heading to San Juan were also canceled, as reported by FlightAware.

Other airports in Puerto Rico, including those in Ceiba, Aguadilla, Ponce, Isla Grande, Vieques, and Culebra, also canceled flights. Norberto Negrón Díaz, executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, confirmed the cancellations.

Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González described the closure as a national security measure during a radio interview. She noted that local agencies were coordinating with federal partners to manage airport and cargo operations.

Airlines Affected Across the Caribbean

Several airlines have reported cancellations across multiple Caribbean destinations. Here are some of the cities impacted:

JetBlue

JetBlue reported that flights in more than a dozen Caribbean cities were affected. The impacted cities include: * Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN) * Antigua (ANU) * Aruba (AUA) * Bonaire (BON) * Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI) * Curaçao (CUR) * Georgetown, Guyana (GEO) * Grenada (GND) * Ponce, Puerto Rico (PSE) * Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS) * San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) * St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX) * St. Lucia (UVF) * St. Maarten (SXM) * St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)

Customers can rebook their flights for travel through January 10 online via the manage trips section of jetblue.com. Refunds are also available for canceled flights.

American Airlines

American Airlines noted that flights from 19 Caribbean cities were impacted due to airspace closures. The affected cities include: * Anguilla Wallblake, Anguilla (AXA) * Antigua, Antigua (ANU) * Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD) * Aruba, Aruba (AUA) * Beef Island, British Virgin Islands (EIS) * Bonaire, Bonaire (BON) * Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI) * Curaçao, Curaçao (CUR) * Fort de France, Martinique (FDF) * Grenada, Grenada (GND) * Melville Hall, Dominica (DOM) * Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP) * Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS) * San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) * St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX) * St. Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKB) * St. Lucia, Saint Lucia (UVF) * St. Maarten, Saint Maarten (SXM) * St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)

The airline waived change fees for tickets purchased by January 2, 2026, for travel between January 3–4 or January 2–9.

Delta Air Lines

Delta began canceling flights in the Caribbean starting early Saturday morning. While the airline did not specify which flights were impacted, it stated it is closely monitoring the situation.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines reported that flights in three Caribbean cities were affected: * Aruba, Aruba (AUA) * Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) * San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)

Customers can rebook or travel standby within 14 days without paying a fare difference. Refunds may be available for canceled or significantly delayed flights.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines reported that flights from five Caribbean cities were impacted: * San Juan (SJU) * Ponce (PSE) * Aguadilla (BQN) * Saint Martin (SXM) * Aruba (AUA)

Change and cancellation fees are waived for flights from these cities, though fare differences may still apply.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines reported that flights from five Caribbean cities were impacted: * San Juan (SJU) * Aruba (AUA) * St. Croix (STX) * St. Thomas (STT) * St. Maarten (SXM)

Rebooking is allowed through January 11.

This story has been updated to add new information.