How Caribbean flights have been impacted by Venezuela airspace closures

"The airport chaos began when the FAA issued a Notice to All Air Missions (NOTAM) late on Friday night that closed most of the airspace over the Caribbean to US passenger planes. The US government restricted the region's airspace as the military performed a large-scale raid on the Venezuelan capital city of Caracas in order to capture the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro."

"The FAA allowed the flight ban NOTAM to expire at late midnight on Sunday, clearing airlines to resume flights to the Caribbean. However, the agency has replaced the ban on US passenger planes in the region with an advisory NOTAM that will remain in effect until Monday 2 February. That alert does not prohibit airliners from flying in the region, but tells them to exercise caution due to military activity "for flights around Curaçao, San Juan, Maiquetia and Piarco Flight Information Regions," according to the Miami Herald."

"At Puerto Rico's San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), 200 flights were cancelled on Saturday, which was about 58 per cent of its total schedule, according to FlightAware data. At Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) on the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas, there were 56 flights cancelled on Saturday, which accounted for 66 per cent of its total flights, FlightAware shows."

Late on Friday the FAA issued a NOTAM closing most of the airspace over the Caribbean to US passenger planes as the US military conducted a large-scale raid on Caracas aimed at capturing Nicolas Maduro. Hundreds of US flights were cancelled on Saturday across the region; San Juan (SJU) lost 200 flights (about 58% of schedule) and St. Thomas (STT) lost 56 flights (about 66%). The FAA allowed the ban to expire at midnight Sunday but issued an advisory NOTAM effective until 2 February urging caution around Curaçao, San Juan, Maiquetia and Piarco flight information regions. US carriers added flexible policies and increased capacity, with American adding 43 extra flights totaling 7,000 seats.

Read at CN Traveller