
American tourists have been left stranded across the Caribbean after the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace to U.S. airlines amid the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in their home on Saturday in an overnight U.S. military operation and brought to New York, where they appeared in court on narco-terrorism charges on Monday.
As a result of the operation, the FAA restricted airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela until Sunday morning.
Major U.S. airlines — including Delta, American, United, Southwest and JetBlue — were forced to cancel hundreds of flights out of the Caribbean, leaving American tourists scrambling to rebook their flights and find additional accommodations.
American tourists stuck in the Caribbean have been sharing their stories on TikTok.
“I’m currently in Aruba, and I was supposed to leave today, but with everything happening, all flights are canceled officially,” Erin, a New Jersey woman, shared on TikTok on Saturday, alongside the caption, “Not a bad place to be stuck!”
According to an update posted Monday, Erin said she was awaiting her flight back to the U.S. out of Aruba, three days later than intended.
Cam Buttrick, a New York-based woman who was stranded in Curaçao due to the U.S. airspace closure, documented her father’s efforts to rebook their family on flights out of the Caribbean on Sunday. Buttrick wrote on TikTok, “the unique experience of being stranded in the Caribbean while your dad frantically tries to book flights for 8 people.”
Another TikTok user, who goes by the name @QueenEbEyez, was stuck in Grenada after Delta canceled her flight to New York on Jan. 4.
“The flight that I booked, rebooked, was canceled again yesterday,” she said in a TikTok posted on Monday. She was then booked on a flight to Toronto and was set to board a flight to New York from there.
Even celebrities have encountered issues leaving the Caribbean. Leonardo DiCaprio was reportedly among the affected passengers struggling to return to the continental U.S. The One Battle After Another star had to miss the Palm Springs International Film Festival after his flight out of St. Barts was canceled, according to Variety. DiCaprio has since returned to the U.S. and was in attendance at the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga was also stranded in Aruba with her family after they rang in the new year.
“wtf is going on,” read Gorga’s since-deleted post on Threads. “Stranded- flight canceled with no rebooking options for weeks?” read another message from the reality star.
Flights resumed at midnight on Sunday, but passengers are still facing lingering delays due to the airspace closure. According to Delta, flights to and from the Caribbean are expected to largely normalize by Tuesday.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
NATO needs Ukraine's 'adaptation DNA' and an 'HOV lane' for new war tech, top commander says - 2
As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers - 3
Nodding off is dangerous. Some animals have evolved extreme ways to sleep in precarious environments - 4
Air India chief resigns 10 months after devastating Ahmedabad crash and amid mounting financial troubles - 5
NASA begins fueling rocket to launch astronauts on the first lunar trip in half a century
The most effective method to Arrange a Higher Medical caretaker Pay During Your Next New employee screening
Watch live as near-Earth asteroid Eros buzzes the Andromeda Galaxy on Nov. 30 (video)
Reconnecting with an old friend is a story of distance, loss and rediscovery
A Manual for Pick Viable Psychological well-being Backing Administrations In 2024
Indian Health Service is digging out of decades-old construction backlog for medical buildings
Poll: Most are satisfied with their health insurance, but a quarter report denials or delays
ADHD drugs work, but not the way experts thought
Trouvez La Carte De Cr\u00e9dit Id\u00e9ale Pour Vos Besoins En Belgique
CNN Crew Detained and Journalist Put in Chokehold in IDF Run-In: ‘We’re Journalists. What Are You Doing?!’













