Key airlines announced Caribbean air travel has returned to normal after hundreds of flights were disrupted this weekend by the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday.
Major airlines reopened flights across the Caribbean region after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that the U.S. would lift airspace restrictions at midnight Eastern time on Saturday night.
Earlier that day, Duffy shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Federal Aviation Administration had restricted airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure travelers’ safety.
“Early this morning in support of the Department of War, the FAA restricted the airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public,” Duffy wrote.
Holiday travel was disrupted after the U.S. conducted a military operation in Venezuela capturing Maduro who was flown out of the country early on Saturday. No airlines were flying across Venezuela that day, and major airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the Caribbean region, including in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Aruba, The Associated Press reported.
Once restrictions were lifted, airlines scrambled to accommodate passengers who were stuck at airports or holiday getaways by increasing aircraft capacity and number of flights across the region.
United Airlines said in a recent statement that it had resumed “normal operations” in the Caribbean. A United spokesperson said the airline added 14 extra flights on Sunday with additional flights on Monday “to assist customers whose travel was disrupted.” The airline had canceled multiple flights between Chicago and the Caribbean region over the weekend.
American Airlines also said on Sunday that it had resumed scheduled services in the Caribbean region, adding nearly 7,000 seats and 43 extra flights to “boost capacity” for customers. The flights aimed to increase connectivity between the eastern Caribbean with the airline’s hubs in Chicago, Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday and Monday, according to the airline’s statement.
JetBlue said on Monday that the airline had “resumed normal operations” and was working to rebook customers on available flights. The airline’s corporate communication’s team also said it had added flights and increased capacity on the aircraft to support travel across the Caribbean.
According to FlightAware, 47 flights were canceled at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Saturday, with five of those coming from Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Others scheduled from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Aruba, and other areas in the Caribbean were also canceled.
