Hundreds of flights are being cancelled or diverted across The Caribbean, after the United States launched an attack on the South American country of Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro. Flights across the region are expected to be disrupted for the coming days, following the Federal Aviation Administration‘s implementation of restrictions for flights following the U.S. military operation.

Airspace closures are currently affecting the Eastern Caribbean and were issued overnight, as reported by The Hill. Airspace is being closely monitored by the FAA, and airlines are already undertaking scheduled adjustments as necessary to ensure the safety of crew and customers for flights in this region.

Airlines Acting Quickly

Airlines across the United States are implementing swift changes to itineraries in this region, with most major carriers issuing statements that align with the FAA airspace closures in the Caribbean. Most major airlines have already released statements that reiterate the airspace closures and affected itineraries.

It is expected that affected customers will receive notifications via their airline app, email, or other contact information listed in their booking. Travel to the region will see a high number of flights cancelled or diverted until the military situation becomes clearer. Affected itineraries will be able to be changed, or refunds may be offered. American Airlines shared its statement below:

“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. We are making schedule adjustments as necessary with the safety and security of our customers and team members top of mind.”

Hundreds Of Flights Affected

New York-based carrier JetBlue has noted that more than 200 of its flights have been affected in the region, seeing diversions or cancellations to a number of its Caribbean and South American destinations. The dates of services affected include Saturday, January 3, and Sunday, January 4. Affected destinations include:

JetBlue flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica have remained unaffected. Grantley Adams International Airport has also reiterated that it will continue to remain open during this time.

It remains unclear how long the airspace closures are expected to last; the current safety alert issued by the FAA is currently set to run through until 5:00 am on Sunday, January 4. Any traveler with bookings to and from the Caribbean for this weekend could be expected to see some sort of cancellation or delay.

Airports Feeling The Pressure

Miami International Airport (MIA) is one of the busiest airports in North America for flights to and from the Caribbean and South America. The airport is currently experiencing wide-scale disruption for flights to this region, and has encouraged all passengers to check their itinerary is still valid before traveling to the airport.

San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, serving Puerto Rico, has also shared an official statement noting that most commercial flights operated by U.S. airlines have been either suspended or temporarily cancelled. It reminded passengers that foreign airlines are not included in this restriction. The airport continues to provide updates as they become available, but has urged ppassengersto check the status of their flight before traveling to the airport.

Most major carriers are offering waivers for affected itineraries to the region, and those affected are encouraged to review and amend their itineraries. At the time of writing, waivers are available with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FrontierAirlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. Further disruptions are likely, so all travelers should proactively review their travel itineraries over the coming days before traveling to the airport.