Venezuelans return to assess damage caused by US strikes
Venezuelans returned to their homes to assess the damage caused by US military attacks over the weekend.
- Air travel to the Caribbean and Puerto Rico resumed after being restricted during the US military strikes in Venezuela.
- Hundreds of flights were canceled on January 3, affecting San Juan, Puerto Rico, the busiest hub in the Caribbean region.
- American Airlines is adding thousands of extra seats and additional flights to help passengers affected by the cancellations.
At midnight on Sunday, January 4, air travel to the Caribbean and Puerto Rico resumed following restrictions imposed during the United States’ shocking military strikes in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Caracas.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on Twitter on January 3, “Airlines have been notified, and will update their schedules immediately. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight has been affected by the restrictions.”
Flights were canceled from dozens of cities on January 3, including at least 150 flights and 140 flights headed to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean’s busiest hub. Airlines said flights to and from dozens of Caribbean destinations were affected.
On Sunday, American Airlines announced that it is fully prepared to help many people resume their travels. In a January 4 statement, the airline said it had added approximately 5,000 additional seats to the region in addition to normal service. Most of those new flights were for connections to Miami International Airport.
American also said it was deploying the Boeing 777-300, “the largest aircraft in the American fleet,” wherever possible to support more customers.
What additional flights is American Airlines adding to the Caribbean?
On January 4, American added 23 flights between Miami, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, from 10 Caribbean locations including Antigua, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands and St. Lucia.
In addition to the regular service, the following flights will be added from January 5:
- Anguilla Wallblack, Anguilla (AXA)
- AA9630 (from Miami)
- AA9630 (to Miami)
- Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI)
- AA9610 (from Miami)
- AA9610 (to Miami)
- Bonaire, Bonaire (BON)
- AA9608 (from Miami)
- AA9608 (to Miami)
- Melville Hall, Dominica (DOM)
- Beef Island, British Virgin Islands (EIS)
- AA9631 (from Miami)
- AA9631 (to Miami)
- Grenada, Grenada (GND)
- AA9609 (from Miami)
- AA9609 (to Miami)
- Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKB)
- AA9612 (from Miami)
- AA9612 (to Miami)
American Airlines will deploy the Boeing 777-300 for these flights on January 5:
- AA9604 Miami International Airport (MIA) to San Juan (SJU)
- AA9605 San Juan to Miami
- AA9606 Miami to San Juan
- AA9613 San Juan to Miami
How much will my canceled flights cost me?
If you purchased your ticket by January 2, 2026, are scheduled to travel between January 3-4, or may travel between January 2-9, the flight change fee is waived, the airline said.
