Unprecedented Travel Disruption in the Caribbean: Thousands Left Stranded Amid Venezuela Conflict
On Sunday, January 4, 2026, airlines throughout the Eastern Caribbean were in disarray, scrambling to accommodate tens of thousands of stranded travelers. This chaos was a direct result of U.S. military operations in Venezuela, which led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose temporary airspace restrictions across the region.
The FAA had closed airspace to U.S. commercial flights on the preceding Saturday, following U.S. strikes in Venezuela. These strikes resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The immediate fallout was the cancellation of approximately 400 flights at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport alone. Hundreds more flights were cancelled across Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, and over a dozen other Caribbean destinations.
In response to this crisis, American Airlines deployed its largest aircraft—Boeing 777-300ERs seating 304 passengers—on Monday to help clear the backlog. This move added nearly 5,000 additional seats to and from the region. Delta Air Lines also announced plans to add some 2,600 extra seats on Monday flights across its Caribbean network. Despite these efforts and airlines resuming normal operations on Sunday, many travelers faced days-long waits for available seats. Some were unable to find flights until the end of the week.
The disruptions extended beyond air travel, affecting Caribbean cruise passengers as well. Major operators such as Virgin Voyages, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line all had to adjust their operations. Notably, Grand Princess delayed its departure from San Juan until Monday, January 6, to give stranded passengers more time to reach the ship.
Source: CNBC