Regional Air Travel Disrupted as US Captures Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Regional air travel across the eastern Caribbean has been severely disrupted following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, with multiple airports reporting cancellations, delays and airspace restrictions.

The operation, confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has triggered active NOTAMs (air traffic notifications) affecting Caribbean airspace, particularly routes involving U.S.-registered aircraft and European carriers whose flight paths pass near Venezuelan territory.

Speaking on Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump said the United States would “control Venezuela” for an unspecified period following the operation, according to The Washington Post. No timeline was provided, and U.S. officials have not outlined how this control would be exercised.

Airport alerts and cancellations

At Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) in St. Maarten, authorities said airport operations were continuing but confirmed that flight activity was impacted, with delays and cancellations affecting several U.S.-registered aircraft due to an active NOTAM linked to the Venezuela situation.

By late morning, PJIA published a list of cancelled flights involving JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, KLM and Air France, affecting routes to and from New York, Miami, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Amsterdam and Paris.

KLM separately confirmed it was unable to operate flights to Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten due to the closure of airspace around Curaçao, with services to Georgetown, Guyana and Bridgetown, Barbados also suspended.

In Antigua, the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority reported that United, Delta and JetBlue flights were cancelled at V. C. Bird International Airport, along with services operated by Tradewind and SkyHigh. Travellers were urged to check directly with airlines before travelling to the airport.

Implications for Montserrat

The disruption is having a knock-on effect for Montserrat, which depends heavily on Antigua and St. Maarten as transit hubs for international travel. With multiple U.S. and European carriers grounded or rerouted, passengers connecting to and from Montserrat are facing missed connections, extended delays and limited rebooking options.

Caribbean Airlines advised that its services were operating as scheduled on Saturday, while encouraging customers to register for real-time flight notifications.

Airports and airlines across the region have said further updates will be issued as the situation develops, with passengers strongly advised to confirm flight status before departing for the airport.