Caribbean Chaos: US-Venezuela Tensions Leave Thousands Stranded

Stuck in Paradise

Scrawled in red marker across a whiteboard inside Grantley Adams International Airport, the word "CANCELLED" appears again and again. For more than 3,000 travelers, Tuesday’s sunshine felt like salt in the wound: every north-bound seat vanished after the United States carried out a surprise raid on Venezuelan airspace, forcing regional carriers to ground flights that skim the area.

The Domino That Toppled

At 05:14 local time, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency notice barring U.S. operators from Venezuelan airspace "until further notice." Within minutes, Caribbean networks felt the shock wave. American Airlines, JetBlue, Delta and Southwest collectively scrubbed 42 scheduled legs connecting Bridgetown, Kingston, and Port-of-Spain to Miami, New York and Atlanta.

"We watched the board blink to red in real time," says Marisol Vega, a schoolteacher from San Juan who had been vacationing in Barbados. "One minute we were lining up, the next we were camping beside our suitcases."

Island Hopping Turns Into Island Waiting

Airlines raced to reroute traffic along the so-called "eastern corridor," a longer path over the Atlantic that bypasses Venezuelan skies but adds up to 90 minutes of flying time and thousands of dollars in extra fuel burn per sector. Carriers that lacked long-range ETOPS certification simply cancelled, leaving travelers scrambling for the few seats still heading north.

• InterCaribbean Airways added two unscheduled Bridgetown–Providenciales–Miami rotations, selling out in 47 minutes.
• Caribbean Airlines deployed a Boeing 737 MAX 8 usually reserved for cargo, reconfiguring the cabin overnight to carry 162 passengers.
• Copa Airlines steered traffic through Panama City, waiving change fees for anyone ticketed before the NOTAM.

‘We’re Not Refugees, We’re Just Tourists’

Inside the departure hall, vacationers traded poolside loungers for cardboard bedrolls. Airport staff distributed meal vouchers; local radio stations ran appeals for blankets. By Wednesday morning, the Red Cross had set up a hydration station. Yet tempers flared as rumors spread of price-gouging taxis and sold-out hotel rooms.

"We understand the geopolitics, but families just want to get home," says airline analyst Elias Joseph. "Caribbean governments are now caught between Washington and Caracas, and passengers pay the price."

What Happens Next

Officials at the Barbados Ministry of Tourism told reporters they expect "rolling disruptions" through the weekend. The FAA says it is reviewing the security situation on a "48-hour rolling basis," but gave no timeline for reopening the air corridor. Meanwhile, cruise lines are quietly repositioning ships to offer passage to Florida for those willing to swap wings for water.

Back at the gate, Marisol Vega clutches a new boarding pass—this one dated Friday. "I’ve got three more nights of island life," she laughs, "whether I want them or not."