Caribbean flights resume after Venezuela airspace curbs

Caribbean flights resume after Venezuela airspace curbs, as U.S. regulators lifted an emergency NOTAM that had barred U.S.-registered civil aircraft from Venezuelan and parts of the Caribbean FIRs. The restriction, issued amid reported military activity and a U.S. military operation in Venezuela in early January 2026, triggered a wave of cancellations and rapid contingency planning across regional carriers and airports.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the curbs would expire at 12:00 a.m. ET on 4 January 2026 and said flights can resume, advising airlines to update schedules and work with impacted customers. Even after the U.S. prohibition ended, authorities cautioned that advisories and cautionary NOTAMs remained under review, leaving some operational risk assessments in place.

FAA emergency NOTAM and the scope of the curbs

The FAA issued an emergency Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) that explicitly barred U.S.-registered civil aircraft and U.S. airmen from entering Venezuelan airspace and portions of adjacent Caribbean FIRs. The NOTAM cited safety-of-flight risks related to ongoing military activity as the justification for the mandatory prohibition.

The text of the NOTAM made clear that the legal restriction applied to U.S. civil operators and commercial airmen, while exempting U.S. military and state aircraft from the ban. That distinction underscored the FAA’s authority over U.S. civil aviation, but also the limited geographic and regulatory reach of the order.

Even after the mandatory ban lifted, the FAA and other agencies continued to issue cautionary advisories, and aviation authorities worldwide reviewed the evolving security picture. The NOTAM highlighted how safety judgments tied to military activity can rapidly change the operational environment for international commercial aviation.

Timeline: what happened January 2, 4, 2026

Airspace restrictions and NOTAMs appeared around 2 and 3 January 2026, coinciding with U.S. military action in Venezuela. The mandatory restriction for U.S. carriers was in full effect on 3 January and remained the primary operational constraint that day, prompting immediate cancellations and diversions.

On 4 January 2026, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the FAA curbs would expire at 12:00 a.m. ET, allowing U.S. carriers to resume flights into and through the previously restricted FIRs. Airlines were instructed to update schedules and communicate with passengers, initiating the recovery phase.

Although the U.S. prohibition expired at midnight into 4 January, regulators and carriers noted that advisories and cautionary NOTAMs were still under review, meaning some airlines and international authorities maintained heightened vigilance for Venezuelan airspace and nearby flight paths.

Scale of disruption across the Caribbean

The immediate operational impact was significant: flight-tracking data showed nearly 1,000 cancellations across the Caribbean on Saturday, 3 January 2026, when the mandatory restriction was in place. The shutdown affected routes to many small island destinations that rely heavily on U.S. carriers for connectivity.

Major U.S. airlines including American, United, Delta, Southwest, Spirit and Frontier cancelled scores of flights to airports across Aruba, Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten and other eastern Caribbean destinations. Some non-U.S. carriers voluntarily adjusted service in the face of the disruption.

Travel outlets compiled lists of affected airports that included Antigua (ANU), Aruba (AUA), Bridgetown/Barbados (BGI), Bonaire (BON), Curaçao (CUR), Grenada (GND), Ponce (PSE), Port of Spain (POS), San Juan (SJU), St. Kitts (SKB), St. Thomas (STT), Sint Maarten (SXM), St. Lucia (UVF) and others, illustrating how widely the curbs reverberated across the region.

San Juan hit hardest: passenger impact and local response

San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) was the hardest-hit hub: Aerostar reported roughly 401 flight cancellations on 3 January and estimated about 48,000 passengers were affected in San Juan alone. The scale of the disruption overwhelmed routine airport services and local support networks.

Local officials and airport operators activated contingency plans that included hotel support, temporary housing and passenger assistance centers to aid stranded travelers. Cruise lines and port authorities also reported some cruise passengers were impacted by the flight cancellations, adding pressure on local hospitality and transportation systems.

Authorities emphasized coordination with airlines and travel operators to prioritize rebooking, lodging and onward connections for visitors, while urging passengers to check directly with carriers for the latest flight status and rebooking options as recovery efforts began.

Airlines’ recovery measures and operational responses

Airlines moved quickly to reallocate capacity and recover service. JetBlue reported roughly 215 cancelled flights « due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity » and later said it had resumed normal Caribbean operations while working to rebook customers and restore schedules.

American Airlines deployed larger aircraft and added extra lift, announcing nearly 7,000 additional seats and 43 extra flights including inter-island relief. United, Delta, Southwest, Spirit and other carriers also announced added flights, waivers and flexible rebooking options on 4 and 5 January 2026 to clear the backlog.

Flight-tracking services and airline updates showed a rapid recovery snapshot: cancellations at SJU fell from about 400 on 3 January to roughly 20 on 4 January as service was reinstated. Still, many recovery flights were sold out quickly and seat availability remained constrained while airlines repositioned aircraft and crew.

Safety advisories, international reaction, and broader effects

Although the FAA NOTAM legally bound U.S. operators, European aviation authorities and other regulators kept conflict-zone advisories active for Venezuelan airspace even after the U.S. prohibition was lifted. Those advisories reflected ongoing military activity and recommended caution within and near Venezuelan FIRs.

The operational disruption cascaded regionally because many Caribbean connections depend on U.S. carriers; some foreign airlines voluntarily adjusted service and a number of non-U.S. carriers cancelled affected flights in response to the uncertain environment. The NOTAM thus had effects beyond the strict legal scope of the FAA order.

Cruise operators, ports and tourism stakeholders reported passenger impacts and offered customer assistance, examples included credit offers from some lines and local contingency housing arranged by Puerto Rico officials. The incident highlighted the interdependence of air, sea and local hospitality systems in island economies.

Outlook: recovery timeline and analyst perspectives

Industry analysts warned that restoring full network schedules would take days rather than hours, because aircraft, crew and gate resources needed to be repositioned across dispersed island markets. Many carriers emphasized that they were working through « a day’s worth of passengers » stranded at multiple airports.

Even after flights resumed, seat inventories were thin on many popular regional routes, and travelers were advised to expect limited availability and possible delays while airlines rebuilt normal operations. Rebooking backlogs and logistical constraints meant that some travelers faced multi-day waits for alternatives.

Airlines and regulators said they would continue to monitor the security situation and issue advisories as necessary; passengers were urged to keep in close touch with carriers, enroll in flight alerts, and check government travel advisories before making onward plans to or through the affected airspace.

After the NOTAM expiration at midnight ET on 4 January 2026, Caribbean flights resumed in earnest, but the episode left a clear reminder of how quickly safety determinations linked to military activity can disrupt a fragile regional network. The immediate recovery actions taken by major carriers helped avert longer-term damage to connectivity, but the ripple effects persisted for days.

Travelers and businesses dependent on timely air links should expect heightened caution in the near term and be prepared for lingering seat shortages and rebooking challenges. Regulators and carriers will continue to balance operational restoration with safety advisories as the situation around Venezuelan airspace remains under review.