MIAMI, Jan 3, 2026, 11:19 ET
Dozens of flights were canceled or delayed at Miami International Airport on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces struck Venezuela overnight and captured President Nicolas Maduro. Flight-tracking site FlightAware showed 147 delays and 50 cancellations at the airport as of 11:16 a.m. EST.
The disruptions matter for Miami because the airport is a major U.S. gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and schedule shocks tend to ripple quickly through airline networks. The timing also hits a weekend when many travelers expected to fly home after the holiday rush.
Airspace restrictions can force last-minute reroutes or outright cancellations, especially on shorter routes where detours can erase aircraft and crew availability. That can also snarl connecting traffic well beyond the affected region.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a “Notice to Airmen” — a safety bulletin to pilots — warning U.S. commercial and private operators that Venezuelan airspace and the nearby island nation of Curacao were off-limits due to “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity,” an Associated Press report said.
A separate set of FAA NOTAMs, or Notices to Airmen, effectively barred U.S. passenger airlines from operating in a swath of Caribbean airspace near Venezuela through late Saturday night, Axios reported. The outlet said the FAA referred questions to the Defense Department, which pointed to the White House, and no immediate White House statement was issued.
Miami International Airport communications director Greg Chin told Miami New Times that cancellations were concentrated on Caribbean routes, with service still operating on some links. “40 flights have been canceled so far today, mostly to and from Caribbean cities,” Chin said.
American Airlines posted a travel alert for an “Airspace closure – Eastern Caribbean,” waiving change fees for eligible customers traveling on Jan. 3-4 to or through destinations including San Juan, Aruba, Curacao and St. Thomas, among others. The carrier said changes must be booked by Jan. 4 and rebooking could extend into Jan. 9, subject to conditions.
FlightAware data also showed disruptions at nearby Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and at Orlando International Airport on Saturday, though the tracker does not specify a cause for individual airport totals. Fort Lauderdale showed 131 delays and 58 cancellations, while Orlando showed 129 delays and 63 cancellations.
Across the region, cancellations piled up at major Caribbean destinations, including San Juan, Puerto Rico, where close to half of departures for the day had been canceled by 10 a.m. Saturday, The Points Guy reported, citing FlightAware data. The travel outlet said FAA safety alerts were scheduled to run through at least 5 a.m. Sunday.
The FAA has tightened guidance around Venezuelan airspace before, citing instability and safety risks. In 2019, it issued an order prohibiting U.S. air operators from flying below 26,000 feet in Venezuela’s airspace “until further notice,” Reuters reported. Reuters
More recently, the FAA warned major airlines in November of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela, citing a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity,” Reuters reported. Reuters
It was not immediately clear when the latest restrictions around Venezuela and parts of the Caribbean would be lifted. Airlines and airport officials urged passengers to check directly with carriers for the latest flight status and rebooking options.
