SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026, 10:05 ET
- U.S.-airline commercial flights to and from Puerto Rico were suspended after the FAA ordered a temporary airspace restriction, airport operator Aerostar said.
- FlightAware showed 290 cancellations and 22 delays at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport on Saturday.
- American Airlines issued an Eastern Caribbean travel waiver, while JetBlue said it canceled about 215 flights systemwide amid the closures.
San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport suspended most commercial flights operated by U.S. airlines on Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary airspace restriction covering Puerto Rico following military activity in Venezuela, airport operator Aerostar said.
The disruption hit the island at the start of the weekend travel period, forcing airlines and airports to rework schedules with little notice. It also raised concerns about knock-on effects for cargo and regional connections.
Norberto Negrón Díaz, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Ports Authority, said the San Juan airport halted commercial passenger and cargo operations until early Sunday, and the interruption also extended to flights at airports in Ceiba, Aguadilla, Ponce, Isla Grande, Vieques and Culebra. “This could cause disruptions in flights to and from the main airport serving Puerto Rico,” Negrón Díaz said.
Flight tracking website FlightAware showed 290 cancellations and 22 delays at Luis Muñoz Marín on Saturday, including 215 cancellations on routes within, into or out of the United States.
Aerostar said the FAA action reflected air-safety considerations linked to military activity in Venezuela and was not tied to any incident at the airport or elsewhere on the island. The operator said the measure had an initial duration of about 24 hours, subject to review, and that foreign airlines and military aircraft were not covered by the restriction.
ABC News reported the FAA also barred U.S. civil aviation from flying in the Curacao, San Juan and part of the Piarco flight information regions, blocks of airspace managed by air traffic control. The network said the closures were scheduled to run until midnight Saturday.
JetBlue said it canceled about 215 flights systemwide because of Caribbean airspace closures related to military activity, and said flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by the government restrictions. ABC said at least 613 flights across the United States had been canceled on Saturday, many tied to the Caribbean restrictions.
American Airlines issued a travel waiver for San Juan and a string of eastern Caribbean destinations, allowing customers scheduled to travel Jan. 3-4 to change flights without a fee if they met certain conditions, the carrier said.
The airspace limits came after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States carried out a large-scale strike in Venezuela and that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country, Reuters reported.
Notices to Air Missions, or NOTAMs, are aviation bulletins that tell pilots and airlines when routes or airspace are unsafe or restricted. Axios reported new NOTAMs were issued for airspace over Venezuela and nearby areas, with flights allowed in some zones only with FAA approval.
Airspace restrictions can ripple quickly through airline networks as aircraft and crews get displaced, triggering additional cancellations beyond the first round of affected routes. Carriers also face limits on rerouting when multiple corridors tighten at once.
Airport and airline operators told travelers to check flight status and rebooking options before heading to terminals as carriers work through delays, refunds and rescheduled departures. Flight disruptions are expected to persist until federal restrictions are lifted.
