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NEW YORK — Flights are getting back on track after the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro disrupted Caribbean air travel over the weekend.
American Airlines is adding 3,000 additional seats by adding flights and using larger planes in the Caribbean region. JetBlue says it expects to resume normal operations as well.
ALSO READ: Caribbean holiday travel disrupted by Maduro’s capture
Flights to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and other destinations near Venezuela were canceled.
A look at air traffic from Flightradar24 shows empty airspace over the weekend. There was minimal activity across the eastern Caribbean.
Airlines cancelled over 1,000 flights nationwide on Saturday in part due to the Caribbean airspace closures, as well as other factors like weather.
Meanwhile, there were also issues in Puerto Rico.
Video captures the roads in San Juan leading to the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport being nearly empty. There were also few people at the departures drop-off point. Inside the airport, there was some activity, but no one going through security. Many would-be passengers did not need to check their flight status, as information and status signs read “cancelled.”
On Saturday, the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport announced on social media that a temporary restriction of airspace had been issued under the Federal Aviation Administration’s orders, including the region of Puerto Rico, following the military activity in Venezuela.
As a result, most commercial flights to and from the airport operated by American Airlines were suspended or temporarily cancelled. Foreign airlines and military aircraft were not included in this restriction.
Even after the U.S. lifted its air space closure set after Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, many remain stranded across the Caribbean as airlines scramble to add flights and get people home.
WPVI-TV anchor and reporter Nydia Han says her family, along with many others, are stuck in Puerto Rico after they we were supposed to fly straight from San Juan back to Philadelphia on Sunday night.
“Unfortunately, because of Maduro’s capture and airspace being closed, we are stuck here in Vieques” according to Han in a video she shared with .
Adding that there’s no plan in sight to return home until at least Friday. “That’s what we’re being told right now by the airlines,” said Han.
Despite the anxious mood in the air, Han says she does feel safe and is simply hoping to get home soon for the sake of her children.
Officials continue to advise passengers to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before arriving at the airport.
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