Airlines cancel hundreds of Caribbean flights after U.S. attacks on Venezuela

Airlines canceled hundreds of flights to Puerto Rico and different parts of the Caribbean connected Saturday, stranding thousands of travelers astatine the tail-end of the New Year vacation play after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercialized craft to debar airspace successful parts of the region following U.S. strikes connected Venezuela.

President Donald Trump said Saturday the strikes resulted successful the United States' capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Cancellations included 357 flights to and from Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, much than 50% of the day's schedule, according to FlightAware. Another 89 flights, more than fractional of Saturday's flights to and from Aruba's Queen Beatrix International Airport, were besides canceled Saturday.

"When appropriate, these airspace restrictions volition beryllium lifted," U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said successful a post connected X.

Airlines affected by the formation restrictions included American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. Carriers waived alteration fees and fare differences for customers affected by the airspace closures if they alteration their flights to aboriginal successful the month. Airlines included much than a twelve airports successful portion successful their waivers.

JetBlue, which has a ample cognition successful the Caribbean, said it canceled astir 215 flights "due to airspace closures crossed the Caribbean related to subject activity." The hose noted that flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by authorities restrictions

American Airlines said it "is alert of the airspace closures successful the Eastern Caribbean that were issued successful the mediate of the nighttime and is intimately monitoring the concern with the FAA."

"We are making docket adjustments arsenic indispensable with the information and information of our customers and squad members apical of mind," the bearer said successful a statement.

Dutch hose KLM besides warned travelers astir disruptions due to the fact that of the airspace restrictions, perchance affecting Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and different flights.

Though specified wide restrictions are often temporary, immoderate formation crews were besides stranded, truthful airlines could request other clip aft the formation bans assistance to reposition staff.

Major U.S. airlines haven't served Venezuela straight for years. American was the past of the large U.S. carriers to stop flying to the state successful 2019 amid unrest there.

Airspace closures successful effect to subject enactment and different information concerns person forced airlines for years to instrumentality longer routes to debar restricted airspace, oregon pause service altogether successful caller years, including successful and astir Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Iran.