U.S. airlines cancel Caribbean flights after Venezuela attack; AC & WestJet share updates

EDITOR'S NOTE: U.S. carriers started resuming service to Puerto Rico and Caribbean destinations early Sunday (Jan. 4) after U.S. aviation officials removed the temporary airspace limits. Click here for more. 

Major U.S. airlines grounded dozens of flights to Caribbean destinations, including Puerto Rico, on Saturday (Jan. 3) following what the Trump administration described as a “large-scale” military action against Venezuela.

The cancellations followed new flight restrictions imposed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response to the U.S. operation, which reportedly resulted in the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Although U.S. airlines have not served Venezuela for years, the restrictions are disrupting flights to popular destinations such as Puerto Rico, Aruba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Saint Lucia, Antigua and others. 

“American Airlines is aware of the FAA-mandated airspace closures in the Eastern Caribbean that were issued overnight and is closely monitoring the situation with the agency,” American Airlines wrote in a statement. “We are making schedule adjustments as necessary with the safety and security of our customers and team members top of mind.”

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines issued similar statements.

“Delta began cancelling flights early Saturday morning in compliance with FAA airspace closures in the Caribbean,” the company wrote. “As cancellations are processed, customers will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation.”

Southwest said its flights to Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were cancelled or will be diverted.

The airline is giving passengers the option to alter their plans. They may also be eligible to collect a refund.

JetBlue scrapped over 200 flights as a result of the airspace shutdowns, though the carrier said service to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica continued without disruption.

Meanwhile, Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados released a statement confirming it would remain operational.

It's unclear how long the restrictions will last.

Updates from Air Canada, Air Transat, Porter & WestJet

PAX reached out to Canadian airlines to see if the situation is impacting their operations. 

In an email, Air Canada said its flights to the Caribbean and South America are operating normally today (Jan. 3), noting that it is following Transport Canada's guidance. 

"We continue to monitor the situation closely. Customers should check the status of their flight at aircanada.com or on our mobile app. Air Canada does not operate flights to Venezuela," the airline wrote. 

Air Canada has also implemented a policy that makes it possible for customers to make voluntary changes to their itinerary if:

• They purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than January 2, 2026, for travel between now and January 6, 2026
• Their itinerary includes a flight to one of the following airports:
  • Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda (ANU)
  • Aruba, Aruba (AUA)
  • Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI)
  • Curaçao, Curaçao (CUR)
  • Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS)
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
  • St. Lucia, Saint Lucia (UVF)
  • St. Maarten, Sint Maarten (SXM)
  • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)
  • Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe (PTP)
  • Fort-de-France, Martinique (FDF)
  • Grenada, Grenada (GND)
  • St. Vincent, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD)
  • St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis (SKB)
  • Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
  • Cartagena, Colombia (CTG)
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)

"Because of the situation in Venezuela and surrounding regions, we understand that you may want to make alternate travel arrangements," wrote the airline in a notice posted to its website Jan 3.

Customers that are scheduled to travel during the above period can retrieve their booking and change their flight, free of charge, to another date between now and January 13, 2026, subject to availability in the cabin originally purchased. Outside of those dates, any fare difference will apply.

If a trip was purchased through Air Canada Vacations, customers are advised to reach out directly.

Air Transat's and Porter's flights are not affected at this time.

WestJet, meanwhile, cancelled its flights between Toronto and Aruba today "out of an abundance of caution." 

"Tomorrow’s flights will be assessed," the airline wrote in an email, noting that it is "monitoring the evolving situation in Venezuela." 

Cruise chaos

The actions will disrupt the travel plans of some cruise passengers, particularly those departing from San Juan.

Puerto Rico’s airspace has been temporarily closed, prompting the cancellation of flights at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, according to an airport statement. 

Operations are expected to remain suspended until 1 a.m. local time on Sunday (Jan. 4). FlightAware shows that at least 150 departing flights from the airport have been cancelled, along with about 140 incoming flights bound for San Juan.

Virgin Voyages, which homeports in the Puerto Rican city, issued a statement Saturday (Jan. 3), acknowledging the flight cancellations.  

“Local authorities have advised that airspace over Puerto Rico is temporarily closed for U.S. airlines, affecting some flights in and out of San Juan,” the cruise line wrote on a social media. “They have also advised that people should proceed to the airport as planned and check directly with their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.”

For Sailors (passengers) scheduled to embark today (Jan 3) whose inbound flights are cancelled travel due to these disruptions, a full voyage credit will be provided for a future Virgin Voyages sailing, the cruise line said.

“We are actively working to support you and will share updates as soon as they’re confirmed. Please continue to monitor your email for the latest details,” the company said.

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