FAA Lifted Venezuela Ban, but Airline Backlogs Still Linger
On January 3, 2026, in response to military strikes in Venezuela, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency NOTAM banning US-registered aircraft from operating in Venezuelan airspace and several surrounding Caribbean flight information regions.
The restriction took effect immediately and forced US airlines to suspend flights to and from parts of the Caribbean beginning January 3. The abrupt shutdown disrupted travel during a busy winter period, leading to widespread cancellations across multiple networks.
The Trump administration carried out military strikes in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, an operation that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolas Maduro.
Flight cancellations
The FAA ban covered the San Juan, Maiquetía, Piarco, and Curaçao flight information regions, which impacted popular leisure destinations including Aruba, Curaçao, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, San Juan and Vieques in Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Trinidad. As a result, more than 600 flights were canceled on January 3 alone.
JetBlue accounted for approximately 215 cancellations, while Delta, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier also grounded services. Routes touching Puerto Rico were among the hardest hit due to their proximity to restricted airspace corridors.
Recovery
The FAA lifted the emergency restrictions on January 4, allowing airlines to resume normal flight operations. Carriers quickly issued travel waivers, added more than 100 recovery flights, and began repositioning aircraft and crews.
Despite these measures, operational backlogs continue, with airlines advising passengers to arrive at airports up to 3 hours early due to congestion and rescheduling delays.
Geopolitical tensions before the conflict
The strikes on January 3 reportedly focused on targets in Caracas and resulted in the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on narco-terrorism-related charges. The operation followed months of diplomatic deterioration between the US and Venezuela.
On November 21, 2025, the FAA had warned US carriers to use extreme caution when flying within the Maiquetía Flight Information Region. That advisory reflected growing instability and signaled rising risks for commercial aviation.
In a move that foreshadowed broader disruptions, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority revoked the operating permits of several international airlines in late November 2025. Affected carriers included Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca, LATAM Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and GOL, sharply reducing international connectivity well before the January military action.
Photo by Karl Callwood on Unsplash