Flights Resume Following Caribbean Restrictions

Airlines deal with disruptions after brief U.S. airspace restrictions during military operation in Venezuela.

Matt Ryan

Monday, January 05, 2026 at 10:22 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Ryan Ewing

[Credit: U.S. Navy]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. airlines have resumed service to the Caribbean after temporary FAA airspace restrictions, imposed due to U.S. military activity near Venezuela, expired on Saturday night.
The temporary restrictions, which followed the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, had caused widespread flight cancellations and disruptions across the region.
Despite flights resuming, FAA security advisories remain active for several Caribbean regions, warning operators to exercise caution due to ongoing military activity and past reports of unsafe encounters with U.S. military aircraft.

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U.S. airlines began restoring service across the Caribbean after temporary Federal Aviation Administration airspace restrictions expired Saturday night, following U.S. military activity near Venezuela this weekend that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The restrictions prompted widespread cancellations and disrupted hundreds of flights across the region.

Airlines resume flights

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that the original Caribbean airspace restrictions expired at midnight Eastern time, allowing flights to resume as airlines updated schedules. Reuters reported that major carriers, including American, Delta, United, Spirit and JetBlue, were set to resume operations Sunday.

UPDATE: The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume.

Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions. https://t.co/5Cv46Xnjy4
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) January 4, 2026

Several said they were adjusting aircraft and crew positioning along with rebuilding schedules, noting that passengers displaced by the closures would continue to be reaccommodated over the coming days, particularly on heavily traveled Caribbean routes.

Security advisories remain active

Despite the expiration of the flight curbs, FAA security notices to airmen continued to show active advisories as of Monday morning for multiple flight information regions, including those covering Venezuela, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago, and San Juan. The notices warn operators to exercise caution at all altitudes due to military activity and potential risks during overflight and terminal phases of flight.

Multiple aircraft have reportedly encountered unsafe encounters with U.S. military aircraft in the region since the beginning of recent U.S. military activity near Venezuela. In December, both a private Falcon 900EX and a commercial JetBlue flight reported near-collisions with military aircraft over the Caribbean.