Daijiworld Media Network - San Juan

San Juan, Jan 5: The US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, caused widespread travel chaos as the FAA temporarily closed airspace over the Caribbean, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded.

Many travelers, including Julie Hurwitz, faced sudden flight cancellations. Hurwitz, returning from a week-long family trip to St. John in the US Virgin Islands, received a 3 a.m. Delta notification canceling her flight to Atlanta “with no information, really.” She and her party of 12 scrambled for accommodation, even considering camping, while hoping their rescheduled flight on Tuesday would depart as planned to make her niece’s fifth birthday celebration.

Similarly, Kelly and John Maher from Michigan, vacationing in Anguilla, were stopped from boarding a ferry to Saint Martin after learning no American commercial flights would depart that day. Passengers relied on rumors and whispers to understand the situation, later linking it to the US military action in Venezuela.

Even high-profile travelers were affected. Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio had to miss the Palm Springs International Film Festival after his flight out of St. Barts was grounded, according to reports.

Flight disruptions began easing by Sunday. At Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, flight cancellations dropped from 57% on Saturday to 4% on Sunday. Airlines, including American, United, and Southwest, scrambled to add flights and seating capacity. American Airlines added 43 flights and nearly 7,000 seats, deploying its largest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300, to alleviate the backlog.

The temporary closure highlighted the vulnerability of Caribbean travel during sudden geopolitical events, leaving vacationers and high-profile travelers alike navigating unprecedented delays.