Why flights to and from Puerto Rico had been abruptly grounded

Commercial air journey to and from Puerto Rico was disrupted on Saturday, Jan. 3 after federal authorities temporarily restricted U.S. airline operations at a number of Caribbean airports, citing safety issues associated to escalating army exercise in Venezuela.

The pause contains flights at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), the Caribbean’s busiest hub, in addition to airports in Ceiba, Aguadilla, Ponce, Isla Grande, Vieques and Culebra, in accordance with Puerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Norberto Negrón Díaz.

Acting underneath orders from the Federal Aviation Administration, industrial passenger and cargo operations had been suspended by 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, with the potential for extensions.

How many flights to, from Puerto Rico have been canceled?

Over 300 flights originating and arriving to the island had been canceled as of noon Jan. 3, in accordance with flight-tracking web site FlightAware.

Aerostar Airport Holdings, which manages SJU, mentioned the momentary airspace restriction stems from “a security situation related to military activity in Venezuela.” The operator warned that almost all flights operated by U.S. airways to and from San Juan had been suspended or topic to cancellation, whereas flights by overseas airways and army plane weren’t affected. The firm urged vacationers to verify flight standing straight with their airways earlier than heading to the airport.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González described the closure as a nationwide safety measure throughout a radio interview, as reported by native information outlet El Nuevo Día. She added that native businesses had been coordinating with federal companions to handle airport and cargo operations.

Travel waivers

Several U.S. airways rolled out payment waivers and versatile rebooking choices as airspace restrictions disrupted flights to and from Puerto Rico and different Caribbean locations. Here’s what vacationers have to know:

• American Airlines: Change charges are waived for patrons booked by Jan. 2 and scheduled to journey Jan. 3-4, 2026, to or from affected locations together with San Juan (SJU), Aruba (AUA), Antigua (ANU), St. Thomas (STT), St. Maarten (SXM) and extra. Travel may be rebooked by Jan. 9, supplied the origin and vacation spot stay the identical and the ticket is reissued by Jan. 4.
• JetBlue: Customers touring Jan. 3-4 to or from impacted airports — together with San Juan (SJU), Aguadilla (BQN), Ponce (PSE), Aruba (AUA), Curaçao (CUR) and St. Lucia (UVF) — can change or cancel flights with out charges or fare variations. Rebooking is allowed by Jan. 10, and refunds can be found for canceled flights if booked earlier than Jan. 3.
• Southwest Airlines: Flights scheduled Saturday, Jan. 3, to Aruba (AUA), Punta Cana (PUJ) and San Juan (SJU) could also be disrupted. Customers can rebook or journey standby inside 14 days with out paying a fare distinction. Refunds could also be accessible for canceled or considerably delayed flights.
• United Airlines: United is waiving change charges and fare variations for eligible tickets bought by Jan. 2 and scheduled for journey Jan. 4-6, 2026, to or from locations together with San Juan (SJU), Antigua (ANU), Aruba (AUA) and St. Thomas (STT). New journey should depart between Jan. 6 and Jan. 13.
• Frontier Airlines: Change and cancellation charges are waived for flights Jan. 3-4 to or from San Juan (SJU), Ponce (PSE), Aguadilla (BQN), Aruba (AUA) and St. Maarten (SXM). Fare variations should apply, and canceled journeys convert to journey credit score.
• Spirit Airlines: Modification costs and fare variations are waived for flights Jan. 3-4 to or from San Juan (SJU), Aruba (AUA), St. Croix (STX), St. Thomas (STT) and St. Maarten (SXM), with rebooking allowed by Jan. 11.

Airlines advise vacationers to observe flight standing carefully and handle adjustments straight by their provider.

Contributing: Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY