Thousands of travelers have found themselves in a geopolitical ripple effect after U.S. military action in Venezuela triggered widespread flight cancellations across the Caribbean.
Major U.S. airlines abruptly grounded dozens of flights Saturday (Jan. 3) after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed airspace restrictions in the region, following what the Trump administration described as a “large-scale” military operation in Venezuela. The operation included the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, sending shockwaves far beyond South America and into Caribbean airspace.
Airlines scrambled to adjust schedules as the FAA closures took effect overnight. American Airlines confirmed it was complying with the restrictions, emphasizing that safety was driving its decisions.
“American Airlines is aware of the FAA-mandated airspace closures in the Eastern Caribbean that were issued overnight and is closely monitoring the situation with the agency,” the company said in a statement, adding that schedule changes were being made with customers and crew “top of mind.”
Other carriers followed suit. Delta Air Lines said it began canceling flights early Saturday morning in response to the closures, noting that affected customers would be notified through the Fly Delta app and the contact information tied to their reservations. Southwest Airlines reported that flights to Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico were canceled or diverted, offering passengers options to rebook or seek refunds.
The impact was especially heavy for JetBlue, which canceled more than 200 flights due to the restricted airspace. The airline clarified that service to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica remained unaffected. Meanwhile, Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados issued a memo assuring travelers that the airport itself would remain open despite the regional disruptions.
How long the restrictions will stay in place remains unclear.
The flight chaos unfolded as Donald Trump publicly praised the military operation. In an early Saturday phone interview with The New York Times, Trump called the mission “brilliant,” later telling Fox News that two U.S. troops were injured but that no deaths were reported.
“I think we had nobody killed,” Trump said. “A couple of guys were hit… they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape.”
In a news conference on Saturday, Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a “peaceful transfer” of power would take place. Trump did not clarify what running Venezuela would mean but insisted U.S. oil companies were prepared to make “major” investments in the country.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later outlined the charges Maduro now faces, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons-related offenses. Maduro was first indicted in 2020.
The operation has sharply divided political opinion, drawing praise from some Republicans and intense criticism from Democrats. Internationally, Russia, a key ally of Venezuela, condemned the move.
For travelers, however, the politics mattered less than the reality on departure boards: blinking red “canceled” signs and plans put on hold.
