A dramatic U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture and extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, has triggered widespread travel chaos across the Caribbean during a peak holiday period.
Airspace Shutdown Strands Holiday Travelers
In response to the security situation, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed immediate airspace restrictions over Venezuela and parts of the Caribbean. This led to a near-total halt of commercial airline traffic over Venezuela on Saturday, according to data from FlightRadar24.com. Major U.S. carriers were forced to cancel hundreds of flights to and from popular island destinations.
The disruptions affected a wide swath of the eastern Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Aruba, and more than a dozen other islands in the Lesser Antilles north of Venezuela. Airlines quickly began waiving change fees for passengers needing to reschedule travel over the weekend.
Passenger Plight and Airline Responses
The real-world impact was felt immediately by travelers like Lou Levine, who was vacationing in Puerto Rico with his wife and three children. Their Saturday morning flight home to the Washington, D.C., area was canceled, extending their week-long New Year's holiday into an unplanned two-week stay.
"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, noting his high school daughter would also miss a week of classes. The family managed to rebook on a flight for the following Saturday after contacting JetBlue via social media.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on X that the restrictions were enacted "to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public" and would be lifted when appropriate.
Individual airlines reported significant schedule changes:
- JetBlue canceled approximately 215 flights due to the airspace closures.
- Southwest Airlines suspended all flights to Aruba for Saturday and halted Puerto Rico operations until further notice.
- American Airlines waived change fees for about 20 island destinations, including Antigua, Saint Lucia, and Curacao.
- Delta Air Lines issued a travel waiver for customers through Tuesday, January 6.
- United Airlines adjusted its schedule and offered fee-free changes.
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan cited the "security situation related to military activity" in Venezuela for the restrictions. Notably, foreign airlines and military aircraft were not subject to the FAA's order.
Broader Impact on Regional Tourism
The timing compounded travel woes, coming just after the peak 13-day holiday period identified by AAA, which had projected 122.4 million American travelers. Many were still attempting to return from tropical vacations before the work and school week began.
"The Caribbean is a top destination this time of the year," said AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz. "We do have a lot of people who are trying to get back home this weekend ahead of work and school on Monday."
The ripple effects extended beyond air travel. Cruise operator Virgin Voyages stated that airline travelers unable to reach San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a cruise departure would receive a full credit for a future trip.
By Saturday evening, there was some hope for normalization. Officials at Aruba's Queen Beatrix International Airport, located just 15 miles off the Venezuelan coast, expected operations to resume normally on Sunday after a full day of cancellations.
