Airlines restore Caribbean flights after airspace restrictions lifted
Passengers wait at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport as all flights are cancelled following US military action in Venezuela, on January 3, 2026, in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo | Afp | Getty Images
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other carriers began restoring flights to Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean early Sunday after U.S. aviation authorities lifted temporary airspace restrictions imposed following U.S. strikes on Venezuela.
The temporary restrictions were set to expire at midnight Eastern time, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X, clearing the way for airlines to resume most scheduled service on Sunday.
“Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly,” Duffy said.
Thousands of travelers at the end of the New Year holiday period were affected after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered commercial aircraft to avoid parts of the region on Saturday, triggering hundreds of flight cancellations.
President Donald Trump said Saturday the strikes resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
United Airlines said it would restart service beginning with flights to San Juan and planned additional departures on Sunday to accommodate disrupted passengers. Delta Air Lines said it was resuming Caribbean service and working to rebook affected customers as schedules normalize.
Frontier Airlines also confirmed with CNBC that it has resumed normal operations.
Other airlines impacted by the temporary restrictions included American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways.
Carriers waived change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the closures if they rebooked flights later in the month. More than a dozen airports in the region were included in the waivers.
The brief shutdown underscored how quickly military action can disrupt civilian air travel, forcing airlines to suspend operations well beyond the immediate conflict zone.
Major U.S. airlines have not served Venezuela directly for years. American Airlines was the last major carrier to halt flights to the country in 2019 amid unrest.
