FAA grounds U.S. flights in parts of Caribbean after military action in Venezuela

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded U.S. civil flights in parts of the Caribbean after the Trump administration’s military action in Venezuela, stranding travelers in locations including San Juan, Puerto Rico. Operations were cleared to resume on Sunday morning. The FAA issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) on Saturday banning U.S.

civil aircraft from operating in parts of the Caribbean, citing "safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity." The notice came as the United States captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and applied only to U.S. aircraft; planes from other countries were not bound by it.

By early afternoon on Sunday flights had restarted and airlines were working to rebook passengers. American Airlines said it added about 5,000 seats by adding flights and larger aircraft, Southwest added extra round trips to San Juan and Aruba, and United said it was "working to add additional flights for Sunday to assist customers whose travel was disrupted." FlightAware reported that about 60 percent of flights to San Juan, St.

Thomas and Aruba were canceled on Saturday; in San Juan 20 departing flights had been canceled by 2:30 p.m. on Sunday compared with 200 on Saturday. Airlines said they would waive change fees for affected travelers but are not required to compensate passengers for cancellations that are beyond their control, and many were told it could be days before they could be rebooked.

Key Topics

World, Federal Aviation Administration, Nicolas Maduro, Luis Muñoz Marin, Aruba, Notam