Hundreds of flights were canceled across the Caribbean on Saturday, including more than 20 departing from or bound for Chicago, after the United States carried out large-scale strikes in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a post on X the Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela “to ensure the safety of the flying public.”
Around 9:30 p.m., Duffy announced airspace restrictions would be lifted at 11 p.m. CST in a post on social media.
UPDATE: The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume.
Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions. https://t.co/5Cv46Xnjy4
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) January 4, 2026
At O’Hare International Airport, the majority of flight cancellations were connected to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As of 3 p.m., a total of 10 flights either heading to or from San Juan had been canceled.
Additional cancellations affecting O’Hare were also reported:
- Cyrl E. King Airport – St. Thomas – 4 flights
- Queen Beatrix International Airport – Aruba – 4 flights
- Princess Juliana International Airport – St. Marteen – 4 flights
- Curaçao International Airport – 2 flights
- Henry E. Rohlsen Airport – U.S. Virgin Islands – 2 flights
- Hewanorra International Airport – Saint Lucia – 2 flights
Midway, meanwhile, reported two flights to San Juan had been canceled.