By MATT O’BRIEN and JOSH FUNK, Associated Press Business Writers
The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday has also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region.
No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela on Saturday, according to FlightRadar24.com. And major airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that the disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions.
Flights were canceled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and more than a dozen other destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group that lies north of Venezuela. The airlines are waiving change fees for passengers who have to reschedule their flights this weekend.
At the Queen Beatrix airport in Aruba, a popular holiday destination for U.S. vacationers just 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Venezuela’s coast, officials said they expected operations to resume normally on Sunday after a day of canceled flights that stranded travelers or blocked them from flying to the island Saturday.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post that “the FAA restricted the airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public.”
“When appropriate, these airspace restrictions will be lifted,” he wrote on X. “Please work with your airlines directly if your flight has been impacted.”
Lou Levine, his wife and their three children were due to fly home to the Washington, D.C., area from Puerto Rico Saturday morning. Instead he woke up to his wife saying their flight was canceled. He found out why when he checked his phone.
They first tried calling JetBlue to reschedule. The airline called back about two hours later but the agent couldn’t help them. Levine and his wife saw others messaging JetBlue on social media and did the same. The airline responded and booked them on another flight leaving next Saturday, turning the Levines’ weeklong New Year’s holiday into a two-week sojourn.
Levine, a manager at a software company, said he’s fortunate to have a flexible and understanding employer. But his high school-aged daughter will be missing a week of school. And then they are the unexpected expenses.
“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.
The Levines hope to book an earlier flight back if flights resume early.
This weekend was already past the peak 13-day holiday period when AAA projected 122.4 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home, but there were plenty of travelers still trying to squeeze in some more time on tropical beaches and resorts before heading back to colder temperatures.
“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.”
Diaz said “it’s understandable we want to unplug” but travelers should keep track of what’s going on and allow airlines to send them phone alerts.
The FAA had earlier said it imposed a temporary airspace restriction on Puerto Rico’s international airport and surrounding regions.
An announcement by Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan posted on the social media site X said restrictions were put in place because of the “security situation related to military activity” in Venezuela.
As a result, most commercial airlines to and from the airport that are operated by U.S. airlines have been suspended or may be canceled.
Foreign airlines and military aircraft were not included in this restriction, the statement said. “Passengers are urged to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before heading to the airport.”
JetBlue said it canceled about 215 flights “due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity.” It also noted that flights farther west to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by the government’s restrictions. Customers could rebook their travel or request a refund if the flights were canceled, the company said.
United Airlines said it was adjusting its schedule to account for airspace closures in the region. It said customers could change their travel plans in the region for free as it continued to monitor the situation and worked with U.S. aviation authorities.
Southwest Airlines said it canceled all Aruba flights for Saturday and suspended Puerto Rico flights until further notice, but flights to the Dominican Republic were unaffected.
American Airlines said it was waiving change fees for flights to and from about 20 island destinations, including Anguilla, Antigua, Curacao, Saint Lucia and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
Delta Air Lines said it has issued a travel waiver for customers traveling to or from 13 impacted airports through Tuesday.
The flight disruptions also affected some travelers booked for Caribbean cruises. Cruise operator Virgin Voyages said airline travelers unable to make it to San Juan, Puerto Rico in time for an upcoming cruise departure would be able to get a full credit for a future trip.
