Flight Resume After U.S. Caribbean Airspace Closure Lifted

DALLAS — A large-scale restriction affecting U.S.-registered aircraft in Caribbean airspace has been lifted, allowing airlines to resume flights after hundreds of cancellations on Saturday, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year for returning Caribbean holiday traffic.

The FAA imposed the sudden ban late Friday following U.S. military operations in Venezuela that removed Nicolás Maduro from power. The restrictions applied to key Flight Information Regions, including San Juan, Maiquetía, Piarco and Curaçao, citing “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”

Private aviation brokers say the early January peak typically sees heavy demand for return flights to the U.S. and Europe. That traffic stalled overnight as U.S.-registered commercial and private flights were grounded or diverted across the region.

The National Business Aviation Association confirmed to members that the ban was lifted shortly after midnight on January 4, 2026. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later wrote that flights could resume from 12:00 a.m. ET as the original airspace restrictions expired.

United Airlines said it began restoring service Saturday night, with San Juan among the first destinations resuming operations. More than 400 flights at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport were cancelled during the disruption, according to FlightAware.

JetBlue (B6) aid roughly 215 flights were cancelled Saturday and the airline is now working to add recovery capacity. Both airlines encouraged passengers to re-check itineraries.

European carriers, including KLM (KL), resumed flying Sunday after cancellations the day prior. Local Caribbean airlines continued operating through the disruption since the FAA ban only applied to U.S.-registered aircraft.

An EASA conflict-zone advisory for Venezuelan airspace remains active.